Transcript SIDEROSIS

Introduction
Siderosis – excessive deposition of
iron in body tissue
 Organs involved:
 Spine/ Brains – superficial siderosis
Cont.…
 Liver – hepatic siderosis
Cont.…
 Eyes – siderosis bulbi
Cont.…
 Bladder – urinary siderosis
 Lungs – ‘respiratory’ siderosis
Recommended levels
 The body stores : 3 – 4g
 Each unit of red blood cells – 200mg
 Daily losses – 1mg
 Age range
 Young to adult
Vulnerability to siderosis
 Exposure to iron oxide
 e.g. steel workers, mine workers.
 Unregulated intake of iron(food and drinks e.g. beers,
and other drinks with high iron content).
CAUSES
 The main cause of siderosis is iron
 This iron is mostly inhaled during welding or other
activities which involve iron.
Cont.…
 Different types of siderosis are caused by the
accumulation of iron in different body parts.
 For example: superficial siderosis is caused by the
chronic deposition of iron into the neuronal tissues.
Cont.…
 Siderosis bulbi is caused by the deposition of iron into
the eyes.
 Hepatic siderosis is caused by the deposition of
abnormal quantity of iron in the liver.
 Excessive accumulation of hemosiderin(ironcontaining protein) can also cause siderosis.
 Eating food with high content of iron is the least cause
of siderosis.
Superficial Siderosis
 Superficial hemosiderosis of the central nervous
system is a disease of the brain resulting from chronic
deposition in neuronal tissues, associated with
cerebrospinal fluid.
Cont.…
 This occurs via the deposition of hemosiderin in
neuronal tissues and it is associated with neuronal
loss, of neuronal cells
 SYMPTOMS
 Sensorineural hearing loss
 Ataxia
 Pyramidal Signs
 Dementia
 Disturbances of the bladder
 Anisocoria
Siderosis Bulbi
 Siderosis Bulbi is the deposition of ionised iron in the
in the intraocular tissues resulting in toxicity.
 It is the development of Fe into the eye causing injury
as the material chemically reacts with tissues and cells.
 Iron oxide present in welding material, foundries and
iron-ore mining are some of the causative agents.
Siderosis bulbi can also be caused by eye contact with
powdered hematite.
Symptoms
 The eye has a rusty appearance due to accumulation of
powdered hematite or iron-ore dust.
Heterochromia iridium
 In anatomy, heterochromia refers to a difference in
colouration, usually of the iris but can also be of skin
or hair.
 One iris may be completely different from the other.
 If heterochromia forms the main part of examination,
the most likely cause is siderosis bulbi.
 In siderosis bulbi, the iris is usually darker while the
pupil usually shows signs of penetrating injury.
SIGNS OF SIDEROSIS BULBI
 Iris heterochromia
 Pupil dilation and poor reaction to light cataract
 Brown deposits on the anterior lens
 Peripheral retinal pigmentation which eventually
progresses to diffuse retinal pigmentation
 Secondary glaucoma due to accumulation of Iron(Fe)
in the trabecular meshwork.
Cont.
 In siderosis bulbi, the darker eye has poor vision and
the pupil is usually dilated and does not react to light.
Prevention of Siderosis
 Siderosis can be prevented by taking precaution, not
to inhale more iron or iron oxide containing dust or
fumes at work:
Cont.
 Ventilate your work area
Cont.
 Wearing an inhalation mask or face shield when
around dust particles or when performing metal
grinding using hoods that allow air to circulate from
outside the work area.
Cont.
 Avoid using sand abrasives quitting smoking to lessen
your chances of getting other kinds of lung disease.
 People with high iron content should avoid eating food
with high iron content.
Treatment of Siderosis
 There is no current cure for siderosis, only treatments
to help alleviate the current symptoms and to help
prevent the development of further symptoms.
 For example, in superficial siderosis the source of
bleeding source can be performed; this has proved to
be effective in halting the development of further
symptoms that have already been presented.
 Avoiding exposure to iron dust or fumes will prevent
any further accumulation of particles in the body
tissues.
Cont.
 The use of iron chelating drugs and steroids has been
explored but they have proven to be largely
unsuccessful thus far so the use of drugs to treat
siderosis is still being investigated.
THANK YOU!
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