Lack of iron stores in patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Low serum ferritin concentrations indicating empty iron stores are common (30 to 50 per cent of the patients) in patients with carcinomas of the stomach, colon and rectum as well as in patients who have undergone resection of the stomach in addition to proximal selective vagotomy and fundoplication. Malignant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are also associated with low serum ferritin concentrations and empty iron stores. Abnormal high serum ferritin concentrations are common in patients with polyposis of the stomach, intra-abdominal abscesses, carcinoma of the papilla of Vater, in patients one month after cholecystectomy and patients with benign tumors of the esophagus, esophagitis, perforation of peptic ulcer, diverticulitis of the colon, carcinoma of the esophagus and polyposis of the colon. Patients after proximal selective vagotomy due to duodenal ulcer have frequently lower and higher values than patients with duodenal ulcers who have not undergone operation. Thus, empty iron stores are common in patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially ones which are malignant, and after gastric operations, whereas a few neoplasms, malignant diseases and severe infections (intraabdominal abscesses and diverticulitis of the colon) may be associated with high serum ferritin concentrations. It is highly justified to determine serum ferritin concentrations in patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.