Skip Navigation



Family Practice Advance Access published online on January 11, 2005
Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmh705
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
22/1/58    most recent
cmh705v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Niv, E.
Right arrow Articles by Lishner, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Niv, E.
Right arrow Articles by Lishner, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Family Practice © Oxford University Press 2005, all rights reserved.
Received April 15, 2004
Accepted May 4, 2004

Article

Iron deficiency anemia in patients without gastrointestinal symptoms--a prospective study

Eva Niv 1, Avishay Elis 2, Rivka Zissin 3, Timna Naftali 4, Ben Novis 5, and Michael Lishner 2*

1 Department of Medicine, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel
2 Department of Medicine, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
3 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
4 Department of Gastroenterology, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel
5 Department of Gastroenterology, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Michael Lishner, E-mail: niv_em{at}netvision.net.il


  Abstract

Background and objectives. Chronic gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is the leading cause of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in men older than 50 years and post-menopausal women. There is a scarcity of data regarding IDA patients without GI symptoms or signs. We conducted a prospective study to determine the prevalence and the locations of the GI tract lesions in patients with asymptomatic IDA.

Methods. Forty-eight patients with asymptomatic IDA (25 men older than 50 years and 23 post-menopausal women) underwent colonoscopy, gastroscopy and abdominal computed tomography (CT) with contrast agent.

Results. An anaemia-causing lesion was found in 14 (29%) and 16 (33%) patients in the upper and the lower GI tract, respectively. The prevalence of dual lesions (in both the upper and lower GI tract) was low (6%). In 14 (29%) patients, a malignancy, predominantly right-sided colon carcinoma, was responsible for the IDA. Only one patient had a lesion in the small bowel. In 14 (29%) patients, the work-up was negative.

Conclusion. Our prospective study demonstrates a high rate of malignancy, predominantly right-sided colon carcinoma, in men older than 50 years and post-menopausal women with asymptomatic IDA. This finding obligates a complete and rigorous GI tract examination in this group of patients, especially of the right colon.

Keywords: Asymptomatic; iron deficiency anaemia.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.