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Subject: iron/myasthenia gravis

   Am J Hematol 1994 Mar;45(3):260-261
   
Hereditary hemochromatosis and red cell aplasia.

    Adams PC
    
   Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, University
   Hospital, London, Canada.
   
   A 63-year-old white man with myasthenia gravis and red cell aplasia
   was found to have hepatic iron overload. The differential diagnosis
   included hereditary hemochromatosis and secondary iron overload
   related to red cell aplasia. Family studies of siblings, including HLA
   typing, initially suggested a diagnosis of secondary iron overload.
   The investigation of a remote sibling led to the final diagnosis of
   hereditary hemochromatosis. The case illustrates the importance of
   complete family investigations in the differentiation between
   hereditary hemochromatosis and secondary iron overload and the
   potential hazard of using HLA typing as an indirect genetic test for
   hereditary hemochromatosis.
   
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