RT Book, Section A1 Powell, Lawrie W. A1 Frazer, David M. A2 Loscalzo, Joseph A2 Fauci, Anthony A2 Kasper, Dennis A2 Hauser, Stephen A2 Longo, Dan A2 Jameson, J. Larry SR Print(0) ID 1198718539 T1 Hemochromatosis T2 Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 21e YR 2022 FD 2022 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781264268504 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1198718539 RD 2024/11/03 AB Hemochromatosis is a relatively common inherited disorder of iron metabolism prevalent in European populations. Once thought to be a single disease entity, it is now known to be an iron-storage disorder with genetic heterogeneity but with a final common metabolic pathway resulting in the inappropriately high cellular release of iron. This leads to an increase in intestinal iron absorption and the deposition of excess iron in parenchymal cells with eventual tissue damage and organ failure. Thus, the term hemochromatosis now refers to a group of genetic diseases that predispose to iron overload, potentially leading to fibrosis and organ failure. Cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, cardiomyopathy, and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism are the major clinical manifestations.