Dr Abdul Mannan FRCPath FCPS

Blood 🩸Doctor

[email protected]

Learning Objectives

By the end of this review, students should be able to:

• Understand iron metabolism and pathophysiology of iron overload
• Identify causes and clinical presentations of iron overload
• Select appropriate diagnostic methods for iron overload assessment
• Choose optimal iron chelation therapy based on clinical scenarios
• Monitor patients on iron chelation therapy effectively

1. Introduction to Iron Overload

Definition

Iron overload is a pathological condition resulting from:

• Congenital impairment of iron regulation
• Increased intestinal iron absorption (secondary to bone marrow erythroid hyperplasia)
• Chronic transfusion regimen

Clinical Significance

• Single unit of packed red cells (420 mL whole blood) = ~200 mg iron