Hemosiderosis may be seen in mucosal biopsies of the small intestine.
The diagnosis is more commonly made in the duodenum because it is more frequently biopsied compared to other sites of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk factors:
(1) oral or parenteral iron therapy
(2) multiple transfusions
Histologic features:
(1) macrophages containing cytoplasmic pigment in the lamina propria, initially at the tips of villi
(2) pigment in Brunner’s glands
(3) positive for iron on special stains
(4) Iron is not deposited within epithelial cells.
Differential diagnosis:
(1) hemochromatosis (iron is present in epithelial cells and in a perivascular distribution)
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Specialty: Gastroenterology
ICD-10: ,
