[Yersinia enterocolitica septicemia associated with idiopathic hemochromatosis and deferoxamine therapy. A case].

Abstract

Yersinia enterocolitica septicaemia is an infrequent condition. We report a case in which septicaemia developed after an infusion of desferrioxamine in a man with idiopathic haemochromatosis. According to the literature, the association of idiopathic haemochromatosis, liver disease and desferrioxamine therapy is extremely favourable to the development of Yersinia septicaemia because iron intake is known to enhance the virulence of this organism, and desferrioxamine, acting like a chelator, enables Yersinia to incorporate iron, which it does not normally do.