Iron pill-induced gastritis: an unrecognized side effect of iron-deficiency anemia.

Abstract

Iron-deficiency anemia is a prevalent condition usually treated with iron supplementation. Iron pill-induced gastritis is an under-recognized, albeit serious potential complication of iron pill ingestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This entity must be identified by healthcare providers who prescribe iron. The diagnosis of this unusual drug-induced disease is based on endoscopic findings and histopathological examination, because the clinical symptoms are vague and non-specific. Herein we report a case of a 79-year-old woman with iron-deficiency anemia taking oral ferrous sulfate with multiple congestive and eroded polypoid lesions. Histology showed an H. pylori-negative erosive gastritis with iron deposition, confirming the diagnosis of iron pill-induced gastritis. The aim of this report is to highlight that iron pill-induced gastritis is an under-diagnosed entity that must be kept in mind when patients undergo chronic iron-pill therapy because it can lead to serious complications of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

• Authors: Catarina Correia, Elisa Gravito-Soares, Marta Gravito-Soares, Maria Augusta Cipriano, Pedro Amaro
• Journal: Revista espanola de enfermedades digestivas (Rev Esp Enferm Dig) Vol. 115 Issue 2 Pg. 100 (02 2023) ISSN: 1130-0108 [Print] Spain
• PMID: 35748462 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Iron

Topics

• Female
• Humans
• Aged
• Iron (adverse effects)
• Anemia, Iron-Deficiency (drug therapy, complications)
• Gastritis (chemically induced, diagnosis, complications)
• Upper Gastrointestinal Tract (pathology)
• Helicobacter Infections (drug therapy)
• Helicobacter pylori