Don't overlook iron overload
Följande meddelande stod att läsa i NewEngl
J Med för några år sedan, författat av MA
Baumann och JA Libnoch från Medical Col–
lege ofWisconsin.
Tack till RuneUlvik, Bergen, som för denna
kunskap vidare. EnligtRunehardetävenkom–
mit rapporter efter denna om att metall–
detektorer på flygplatser ger larm hos patien–
ter med hemokromatos och patologiskt järn–
överskott. /KH
We have recently discovered a potential new,
noninvasive screening test for iron-overload
conditions.
A 65-year-old whiteman has been followed in
our institution for several years for myelodysplasia
with severe erythroid hypoplasia. He requires
frequent transfusions of erythrocytes and has
received an estimated 300 units over the past four
years.
He presented to our hematology elinie in July
of this year for a routine visit and incidentally
124
mentioned that he hadbeen unable to pass through
an airport meta! detector without triggering the
alarm. After first triggering the alarm, he was
searched, and all meta! items were removed from
his person. In spite of this, he still could not pass
through the metal detector without eausing the
alarm to sound. Airport officials then went over
the man with a hand-held metal detector, which
reportedly detected metal any time it was in
proximity to anypart ofhis body.No other airport
patronhad anydifficultypassing through themetal
detector while the man was present.
Afterhearing this story, we obtained serum iron
studies on the patient. The serum ironwas 274 !lg
per deciliter, the total iron-binding capacity 315
11g per deciliter, and serum ferritin 2768 ng per
milliliter.
Iron overload in this patient is, of course, to be
expected. Patients without known iron overload,
fromwhom asimilarhistory is elicitedmaydeserve
investigation.
Klinisk Kemi
i
Norden 4, 1997
