The patient will usually have a history of recent oral iron therapy, typically ferrous sulfate.
Histologic features of iron deposits:
(1) coarse brownish deposits that may be solid, fibrillar, or intracytoplasmic
(2) positive on Perls's or other iron stains
(3) refractile but does not polarize
Types of lesions:
(1) mucosal erosions
(2) ulcerations
(3) luminal deposits involving the surface epithelium
(4) hemosiderin deposits within epithelial cells
(5) deposits within the lamina propria
(6) intracytoplasmic deposits within macrophages
(7) thrombi within blood vessels of the submucosa or muscularis propria
(8) deposits within granulation tissue
|
Iron Accumulation
|
Percent of Biopsy Tissue Area Involved
|
Grade of Iron Accumulation
|
|
none
|
0
|
0
|
|
slight
|
1 - 4%
|
1+
|
|
moderate
|
5 - 15%
|
2+
|
|
heavy
|
> 15%
|
3+
|
