[Intra-articular iron sequestration and rheumatic anemia. Histologic and isotopic study]

The authors explored 48 patients with various forms of inflammatory rheumatism and 8 controls. The exploration consisted of seeking in the synovial membrane ferric pigments by Perls stain, or studying the movements of Fe 59 bound to siderophyllin in the joints. Intra-articular iron deposits were thus demonstrated only in the inflammatory cases. Its mechanism is discussed. It seems sufficient to be the cause of rheumatic anemia which is thus different from other forms of inflammatory anemia owing to the importance of the iron uptake.