A 40 yr old man has developed some dermatologic issues over the past 3 years alo

Question

A 40 yr old man has developed some dermatologic issues over the past 3 years along with hepatic enlargement, lack of coagulation factors, increases in liver enzymes. He states he sometimes feels "confused". His CBC indicates a pancytopenia and his blood smear displays some basophilic stippling. He also notes that he sometimes experiences nausea accompanied by abdominal pains. Further patient history: man has lived in the same town for 20 yrs, worked at the same job in a wood processing plant since he was 25 and lives on a rural farm. Indicate which trace element might be responsible for this man's condition and why.

Explanation / Answer

It seems patient was suffering from thalassemia. Fe is the trace element which might be responsible for this man's condition as Fe is used in the form of haemoglobin in RBCs which are disrupted in this disorder.

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