Heart failure and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias due to hereditary hemochromatosis with iron overload cardiomyopathy

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), a common autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by increased iron absorption from the gut resulting in iron overload, results in heart failure and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Clinical symptoms and involved organs vary considerably and a low percentage of patients develop the classic pattern of liver cirrhosis and pancreas fibrosis with the appearance of bronzed diabetes. Holter electrocardiography showed recurrent tachycardia with episodes of premature atrial runs and contractions, intermittent tachyarrhythmic atrial fibrillation and atrial tachycardia with rates up to 190 beats per minute. The complex interactions between intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic disorders thoroughly need innovative diagnostic algorithms. Further strategies for early screening programs are required to be developed to diagnose more patients in the reversible stage of HH.