The Arthropathy of Hemochromatosis Without Hemochromatosis

A 65-year-old man and his 62-year-old sister presented with joint pains and were found to have chondrocalcinosis. Both had elevations of serum iron and an increased saturation of iron binding protein. Biopsies revealed hemosiderin deposits in the parenchymal cells of the liver of both patients and the lining cells of the synovium of one. Although these siblings presented with an arthropathy resembling that associated with hemochromatosis, neither had any other clinical manifestations of hemochromatosis.