Perinatal Idiopathic Hemochromatosis

Authors

Usha B. Raju
Sudhakar Ezhuthachan
Chan K. Ma

Abstract

We report the clinicopathologic features of an infant who died of a rare form of perinatal cirrhosis associated with idiopathic hepatic and extrahepatic parenchymal siderosis. The infant appeared normal at birth but soon became severely ill, following a progressively downhill course associated with hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, bleeding diathesis, jaundice, and shock. The infant died at 7 days of age. The manifestations were those of hepatic failure but mimicked sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Cirrhosis, giant cell transformation, and parenchymal iron deposition characteristic of perinatal idiopathic hemochromatosis, a recently emerging clinicopathologic entity of unknown etiology, were present in this infant. These clinical and pathologic features differ from other neonatal liver diseases in their acute onset immediately after birth, a catastrophic clinical course ending fatally, and the morphologic manifestation of significant iron overload.

Recommended Citation

Raju, Usha B.; Ezhuthachan, Sudhakar; and Ma, Chan K. (1988) "Perinatal Idiopathic Hemochromatosis," Henry Ford Hospital Medical Journal : Vol. 36 : No. 4 , 187-190.
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/hfhmedjournal/vol36/iss4/5