A 63-year-old woman dies of congestive heart failure. An autopsy reveals a dilated heart with brownish pigmentation of the myocardium. The image below shows light microscopy of her liver after Prussian blue staining: At the age of 43, the patient's brother died from severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Assuming this patient's disorder is hereditary, which of the following most likely contributed to her disease's delayed onset compared to her brother?

Question

A 63-year-old woman dies of congestive heart failure. An autopsy reveals a dilated heart with brownish pigmentation of the myocardium. The image below shows light microscopy of her liver after Prussian blue staining:  At the age of 43, the patient's brother died from severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Assuming this patient's disorder is hereditary, which of the following most likely contributed to her disease's delayed onset compared to her brother?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Hereditary hemochromatosis is distinguished by increased intestinal iron absorption and excess iron deposition in parenchymal tissues. Men typically manifest symptoms in their 30s and 40s. Premenopausal women, on the other hand, have ongoing blood and iron losses due to menstruation, which offsets the excess iron absorption and delays the onset of symptoms.

A 63-Year-Old Woman Dies of Congestive Heart Failure