Lymph nodes & spleen, nonlymphoma
Pigment / foreign material
Iron
Last author update: 1 April 2014
Last staff update: 18 July 2022
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PubMed Search: Iron [title] lymph nodes
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Sites | Pathophysiology | Clinical features | Diagnosis | Radiology description | Prognostic factors | Case reports | Treatment | Gross description | Gross images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Molecular / cytogenetics images | Positive stains | Negative stains | Electron microscopy description | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Balakrishna J. Iron. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/lymphnodesiron.html. Accessed February 7th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Iron deposition in lymph nodes is rare
- Also called hemosiderosis
- May be associated with hemochromatosis
Sites
- Portal, splenic, mesenteric or axillary, depending on the primary cause
Pathophysiology
- Parenteral iron administration
- Multiple transfusions: red blood cells are lysed and iron is deposited in macrophages in the liver and spleen followed by drainage to adjacent lymph nodes
- Hereditary hemosiderosis: abnormalities in iron transport - most common is HFE1 gene mutation; also mutations in TfR2, HJV, HAMP, ferroportin-V162del (Hepatology 2005;42:466)
- Anemia of inflammation: associated with rheumatoid arthritis (Ann Rheum Dis 1970;29:81), gout
Clinical features
- Depends on the primary cause
- Enlarged lymph nodes
Diagnosis
- Biopsy with Perls Prussian blue stain
Radiology description
- CT: enlarged and hyperdense lymph nodes (AJR Am J Roentgenol 1981;136:1191)
Prognostic factors
- Depends on the primary cause, severity and extent of the disease
Case reports
- Women, 19 to 49 years, with lymphadenopathy after single infusion of iron dextran (J Clin Pathol 1968;21:492)
Treatment
- Reduce iron overload, treat the primary cause
Gross description
- Enlarged lymph nodes
Gross images
Images hosted on other servers:
Lymph nodes at bottom right
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Follicular hyperplasia, sinus histiocytosis, golden brown pigment deposition
Molecular / cytogenetics images
Contributed by Dr. Mark R. Wick
In sickle cell disease
Positive stains
Negative stains
Electron microscopy description
- Prominent phagocytic reticulum cells containing vacuoles, myelin figures, lipid droplets and very large lysosomal bodies with fine electron dense granules concentrated in these lysosomal bodies and in the cytoplasm, which show molecular structure of ferritin
Differential diagnosis
- Charcoal laden macrophages
- Hemazoin pigment: seen in malaria
- Melanin pigment deposition: melanoma, dermatopathic lymphadenitis
- Tattoo pigment
Additional references
