Post-transfusional haemosiderosis

Abstract

In the last ten years more refined procedures in blood-group immunology and blood banking have enabled us to treat more patients with refractory anaemia over a prolonged period. Multiple transfusions, however, inevitably burden the body with large amounts of iron, and clinical manifestations of iron overload are observed with increasing frequency. While the clinical signs and the histological features of transfusional iron overload may vary considerably from one patient to another, it is apparent that the deposition of excessive amounts of iron in the cells may in some instances be associated with tissue damage and impairment of organ function. The exact pathogenesis of this acquired condition has not yet been clarified, and it is difficult to understand why some individuals appear to be more susceptible than others.