Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis is an iron metabolism disorder in which the intestines absorb excessive amounts of iron, which is eventually deposited into soft tissues. Hereditary hemochromatosis is the most common single-gene disorder in the US white population. Typically, adults do not begin to exhibit manifestations of the disease until the age of 40, after years of iron accumulation. Neonatal hemochromatosis is a very rare and serious disorder with no known etiology. It is unrelated to the hereditary mutation of the HFE gene and is thought of as a variety of fulminant hepatic failure. Neonatal hemochromatosis is associated with extremely poor outcomes, and liver transplant is the only reliable treatment. This literature review aims to describe hereditary and neonatal hemochromatosis as well as the sonographic characteristics and treatment.