Can iron treatments aggravate epistaxis in some patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia?
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Objectives/Hypothesis
To examine whether there is a rationale for iron treatments precipitating nosebleeds (epistaxis) in a subgroup of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).
Study Design
Survey evaluation of HHT patients, and a randomized control trial in healthy volunteers.
Methods
Nosebleed severity in response to iron treatments and standard investigations were evaluated by unbiased surveys in patients with HHT. Serial blood samples from a randomized controlled trial of 18 healthy volunteers were used to examine responses to a single iron tablet (ferrous sulfate, 200 mg).
Results
Iron tablet users were more likely to have daily nosebleeds than non–iron-users as adults, but there was no difference in the proportions reporting childhood or trauma-induced nosebleeds. Although iron and blood transfusions were commonly reported to improve nosebleeds, 35 of 732 (4.8%) iron tablet users, in addition to 17 of 261 (6.5%) iron infusion users, reported that their nosebleeds were exacerbated by the respective treatments. These rates were significantly higher than those reported for control investigations. Serum iron rose sharply in four of the volunteers ingesting ferrous sulfate (by 19.3–33.1 μmol/L in 2 hours), but not in 12 dietary controls (2-hour iron increment ranged from −2.2 to +5.0 μmol/L). High iron absorbers demonstrated greater increments in serum ferritin at 48 hours, but transient rises in circulating endothelial cells, an accepted marker of endothelial damage.
Conclusions
Iron supplementation is essential to treat or prevent iron deficiency, particularly in patients with pathological hemorrhagic iron losses. However, in a small subgroup of individuals, rapid changes in serum iron may provoke endothelial changes and hemorrhage.
To examine whether there is a rationale for iron treatments precipitating nosebleeds (epistaxis) in a subgroup of patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).
Study Design
Survey evaluation of HHT patients, and a randomized control trial in healthy volunteers.
Methods
Nosebleed severity in response to iron treatments and standard investigations were evaluated by unbiased surveys in patients with HHT. Serial blood samples from a randomized controlled trial of 18 healthy volunteers were used to examine responses to a single iron tablet (ferrous sulfate, 200 mg).
Results
Iron tablet users were more likely to have daily nosebleeds than non–iron-users as adults, but there was no difference in the proportions reporting childhood or trauma-induced nosebleeds. Although iron and blood transfusions were commonly reported to improve nosebleeds, 35 of 732 (4.8%) iron tablet users, in addition to 17 of 261 (6.5%) iron infusion users, reported that their nosebleeds were exacerbated by the respective treatments. These rates were significantly higher than those reported for control investigations. Serum iron rose sharply in four of the volunteers ingesting ferrous sulfate (by 19.3–33.1 μmol/L in 2 hours), but not in 12 dietary controls (2-hour iron increment ranged from −2.2 to +5.0 μmol/L). High iron absorbers demonstrated greater increments in serum ferritin at 48 hours, but transient rises in circulating endothelial cells, an accepted marker of endothelial damage.
Conclusions
Iron supplementation is essential to treat or prevent iron deficiency, particularly in patients with pathological hemorrhagic iron losses. However, in a small subgroup of individuals, rapid changes in serum iron may provoke endothelial changes and hemorrhage.
Date Issued
2016-04-23
Date Acceptance
2016-02-10
Citation
The Laryngoscope, 2016, 126 (11), pp.2468-2474
ISSN
1091-756X
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
2468
End Page
2474
Journal / Book Title
The Laryngoscope
Volume
126
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
© 2016 The Authors. The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society Inc, “The Triological Society” and American Laryngological Association (ALA). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
License URL
Subjects
Epistaxis
iron
Otorhinolaryngology
Clinical Sciences
Publication Status
Published