Evaluation of body iron stores

Several methods are available for the estimation of total-body iron. Many of these methods are tedious and time consuming, and none is entirely satisfactory. The knowledge of total-body iron is of diagnostic importance in the evaluation of anemias and for the diagnosis and follow-up study of patients with iron-overload states. Only frequently used tests that make use of radioisotopes are discussed in this chapter in detail; others are mentioned only briefly for comparison. Before the discussion of these tests, the physiology of iron balance will be reviewed briefly, to the extent that it falls within the scope of this chapter