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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level
Published on: January 19, 2024
Pica and refractory iron deficiency anaemia: a case report
Christophe von Garnier1, Holger Stünitz, Michael Decker
1Medical Outpatient Department, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben, Basel, Switzerland. christophe.vongarnier@insel.ch
Introduction:
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia worldwide. Pica, the ingestion of substances that are inappropriate for consumption, is associated with iron deficiency and may be under-diagnosed.
Case Presentation:
A 34-year-old woman presented with iron deficiency anaemia refractory to treatment for more than a decade. The clinical presentation, endoscopic findings and laboratory investigations were consistent with pica. Subsequent geophysical analysis confirmed that the ingested material was kaolin, a negatively charged silicate.
Conclusion:
Prolonged unexplained iron deficiency anaemia should prompt clinicians to remember and inquire about pica. In our patient, this would have averted numerous unnecessary investigations and prevented a decade-long suffering.
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