Transfusion hemosiderosis


Transfusional hemosiderosis is the accumulation of iron in the liver and heart but also endocrine organs, in patients who receive or did receive frequent blood transfusions.

Diagnosis

Blood transferrin test.
Gold criteria is liver biopsy.

Treatment

Treatment is by phlebotomy, erythrocytapheresis or chelation therapy with iron chelating agents such as deferoxamine, deferiprone or deferasirox.
If iron overload has caused end-organ damage, this is generally irreversible and may require transplantation.

Society

died of transfusional iron overload from too many blood transfusions.