Arthritis in hereditary hemochromatosis.

Seven pedigrees with 45 members were evaluated for arthropathy associated with hereditary hemochromatosis (HC). Patients with symptomatic extraarticular disease were compared with asymptomatic patients who had evidence of HC on laboratory findings, and with normal subjects. Patients who were homozygous for HC were compared with heterozygous patients and normal subjects. HC arthritis does not appear to be an early predictor of disease, and chondrocalcinosis is a late manifestation of HC arthropathy.