The natural history of arthritis in idiopathic haemochromatosis: progression of the clinical and radiological features over ten years.

The natural history of arthritis associated with idiopathic haemochromatosis was studied in 18 male patients over a 10 year period. Chondracalcinosis was present radiologically in at least on joint in seven patients initially and developed later in 13, with the articular cartilages of the wrists and knees affected most frequently. During the period of observation seven patients developed chondrocalcinosis in the wrists, seven in the knees, three in the hips, one in the symphysis pubis and two in the spine. In no patient did the chondrocalcinosis decrease or disappear. The development and progression of chondrocalcinosis was not affected by treatment of iron overload by venesection. The presence of chondrocalcinosis in at least one joint was not related to the age of the patient at the initial or follow-up examination or to the amount of iron removed by venesection (p greater than 0.05, Wilcoxon rank sum test). Arthritis (loss of joint space, cysts, destruction of articular surfaces) usually with associated symptoms and signs affected the hands in eight patients initially and developed later in 13. Arthritis of large joints was uncommon and none of the patients in the present series developed destructive arthritis of hips or knees. This contrast with the finding in a retrospective survey of 93 patients with idiopathic haemochromatosis seen since 1967 at King's College Hospital in which seven patients had destructive arthritis affecting the hips.