MedGen

HFE hemochromatosis is characterized by inappropriately high absorption of iron by the small intestinal mucosa. The phenotypic spectrum of HFE hemochromatosis includes: Persons with clinical HFE hemochromatosis, in whom manifestations of end-organ damage secondary to iron overload are present; Individuals with biochemical HFE hemochromatosis, in whom transferrin-iron saturation is increased and the only evidence of iron overload is increased serum ferritin concentration; and Non-expressing p.Cys282Tyr homozygotes, in whom neither clinical manifestations of HFE hemochromatosis nor iron overload are present. Clinical HFE hemochromatosis is characterized by excessive storage of iron in the liver, skin, pancreas, heart, joints, and anterior pituitary gland. In untreated individuals, early symptoms include: abdominal pain, weakness, lethargy, weight loss, arthralgias, diabetes mellitus; and increased risk of cirrhosis when the serum ferritin is higher than 1,000 ng/mL. Other findings may include progressive increase in skin pigmentation, congestive heart failure, and/or arrhythmias, arthritis, and hypogonadism. Clinical HFE hemochromatosis is more common in men than women. [from GeneReviews]

A rare hereditary haemochromatosis characterised by inappropriately regulated intestinal iron absorption which leads to excessive iron storage in various organs and manifests with a wide range of signs and symptoms, including abdominal pain, weakness, lethargy, weight loss, elevated serum aminotransferase levels, increase in skin pigmentation, and/or arthropathy in the metacarpophalangeal joints. Other commonly associated manifestations include hepatomegaly, cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, restrictive cardiomyopathy and/or diabetes mellitus. [from SNOMEDCT_US]