29th Annual Student Research Conference
A case of Hemochromatosis: Pumping iron has a whole new meaning
Mackenzie R. Snyder* and Alison Crew
Ms. Michelle Boyd, Faculty Mentor
The patient involved in this case was a 23 year old male collegiate quarterback, who presented with increased pigmentation, blistering, and increasingly fragile skin of his hands. After multiple consultations with a dermatologist he was diagnosed with a chromium allergy exacerbated by his high exposure to leather. Skin biopsy showed that the patient was suffering from porphyria cutanea tarda, typically caused by excess iron in the blood. A blood test showed that he had an extremely high ferritin level of 963 ng/mL. This discovery led to his diagnosis of hemochromatosis. This condition occurs when the duodenum absorbs excess iron leading to a buildup in the liver followed by liver toxicity which is generally the cause of diagnosis. Because many symptoms of hemochromatosis mimic common side effects of the college lifestyle diagnosis and the subsequent treatment in a 23 year old patient, without liver toxicity, is extremely rare.
Keywords: Hemochromatosis , Iron
Topic(s):Athletic Training
Exercise Science
Health Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -1
Location: MG 2001
Time: 9:30