Kathryn Maguire - Haematology Association of Ireland

Assessment of Iron Overload• Ferritin level• Normal range (15-300ug/L)• Gives a rough estimate of the extent of iron overload• Inaccurate < 1yr• Acute phase reactant• Hepatic iron concentration is the most reliablemeasure of iron burden• the “gold standard” is a liver tissue biopsy which notonly estimates quantity of iron but allows a histologicalassessment of the distribution of haemosiderin & extentof tissue damage