Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hepatic cirrhosis and hemochromatosis in three horses.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1994
- Authors:
- Pearson, E G et al.
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Plain-English summary
Three horses were found to have hemochromatosis, which is a condition where the body stores too much iron, along with liver cirrhosis, a serious liver disease. Each horse showed signs of liver damage, including a specific type of scarring and high levels of liver enzymes in their blood. Interestingly, while one horse had a very high amount of iron in its liver, its overall blood iron levels were normal, suggesting that the iron storage issue was not due to diet or family history. These horses were not related, and there was no indication that they had been eating too much iron. The treatment details were not provided, but the findings suggest a complex issue with iron storage in these horses.
Abstract
Hemochromatosis, an iron storage disease, was diagnosed in 3 horses with hepatic cirrhosis. Each horse had bridging portal fibrosis and abundant iron deposits in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. Serum concentrations of liver-derived enzymes and total bile acids were high. However, serum iron concentration was not high, and iron binding capacity was only 46% saturated in the 1 horse in which it was measured. However, the concentration of iron in the liver of this horse was 20 times the reference limits. Hemochromatosis is common in mynah birds and human beings. There are several types of this iron storage disease. In human beings, there is a familial disease with iron absorption inappropriate for the level of stored iron. Hemochromatosis also occurs secondary to cirrhosis of the liver, and in certain anemia diseases. Another type of hemochromatosis is seen in association with dietary iron overload. These horses were not related, and there was not any evidence of high dietary iron intake.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8045806/