Hepatic Iron Overload

Abstract

The variable criteria used in diagnosing hemochromatosis have resulted in considerable confusion in the literature. How does one separate the alcoholic with cirrhosis and secondary iron overload from the patient with “familial hemochromatosis” who happens to drink too much? And if phlebotomy is the way to treat hemochromatosis, why not use this therapy in cirrhosis? Further work bearing on these questions and on the pathogenetic roles of alcohol and iron in liver disease is needed.