Reduced venesection requirement as a clue to occult colorectal cancer in hereditary haemochromatosis.
BMJ Case RepOct 5, 2026 (epub)
Roisin Burrows-O'Donoghue, Yee Tin Lit, Lucy Gorard et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A man in his late 70s with hereditary haemochromatosis experienced an unexpected cessation of his usual venesection for iron management, despite no gastrointestinal symptoms or anemia. His ferritin levels remained low without treatment. Subsequent colonoscopy revealed an adenocarcinoma in the caecum, suggesting that chronic occult blood loss from the tumor counteracted the typical iron absorption seen in hereditary haemochromatosis.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
An unexplained reduction in venesection requirements in patients with hereditary haemochromatosis may indicate occult gastrointestinal blood loss and warrants further investigation.