Hemochromatosis in a family

A 56-year-old man, who had previously been treated for arthritis of the hands, was admitted to the hospital because of abdominal pain and fever. Physical examination, laboratory tests and liver biopsy led to the diagnosis of hemochromatosis. The patient's brother, who had also been treated for arthritis, was then found to have hemochromatosis. The patient's five children appeared to be well, but serum iron studies and HLA typing showed that four were affected with hemochromatosis.