A 66-year-old male was admitted with complaints of palpitation and shortness of breath on exertion. Peripheral blood and bone marrow examination revealed pancytopenia and hypoplastic marrow. The diagnosis of aplastic anemia was made, and he was treated with blood transfusions, ferrous sulfate, corticosteroid and anabolic steroid. During his clinical course, glycosuria, hyperglycemia and liver cirrhosis were observed. Then he expired because of pneumonia. Autopsy revealed hemochromatosis associated with aplastic anemia, and metal concentration of the liver was measured.
The association of hemochromatosis with aplastic anemia, which was first reported by Kark (1937), has been reported fairly and said to occur more than accidental. 21 cases of hemochromatosis associated with aplastic anemia have been reported in Japanese literature and 38 cases in 164 cases of hemochromatosis collected from Annual of the Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan in the period from 1967 to 1976. A possiblity that hemochromatosis developed easily when iron load was added to the iron excess state of aplastic anemia was discussed.
