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Iron Screening in Alopecia Areata Patients May Catch Hereditary Hemochromatosis Early
Bonnie Leung1, Linsey Lindley1, Ponciano D Cruz1
1The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. Ms. Leung and Drs. Lindley, Cruz, and Ayoade are from the Department of Dermatology. Dr. Cole is from the Department of Hematology & Oncology.
Hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC), a disorder of iron overload, presents with clinical phenotypic heterogeneity. Complications can be mitigated with early intervention. The association between HHC and alopecia areata (AA) is unknown. We report 4 patients with HHC concurrent with AA. In 2 patients, the HHC diagnosis was revealed from the results of laboratory iron studies as part of an alopecia consultation workup. Alopecia areata may be a rare early cutaneous manifestation of HHC in individuals with a predisposition for autoimmunity; however, the genetic relationship between the 2 disorders is currently unknown. Patients at high risk for HHC such as those with a family history and/or those who fit the demographic profile may benefit from laboratory iron screening if they present to the clinic with AA.
Hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC), a disorder of iron overload, presents with clinical phenotypic heterogeneity. Complications can be mitigated with early intervention. The association between HHC and alopecia areata (AA) is unknown. We report 4 patients with HHC concurrent with AA. In 2 patients, the HHC diagnosis was revealed from the results of laboratory iron studies as part of an alopecia consultation workup. Alopecia areata may be a rare early cutaneous manifestation of HHC in individuals with a predisposition for autoimmunity; however, the genetic relationship between the 2 disorders is currently unknown. Patients at high risk for HHC such as those with a family history and/or those who fit the demographic profile may benefit from laboratory iron screening if they present to the clinic with AA.
