A case of hereditary ceruloplasmin deficiency with hemosiderosis

We report a 49-year-old female with hereditary ceruloplasmin deficiency with hemosiderosis. There was a family history of the same symptoms: her brother showed hypoceruloplasminemia and decrease of the serum copper content. On physical examinations, dementia, dysarthria, downbeat nystagmus, sensorineural hearing disturbance, orthostatic hypotension, retinitis pigmentosa, diffuse goiter, and cerebellar ataxia were noted. Laboratory examinations disclosed leukopenia, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, decrease of copper content in the serum and urine. Serum ferritin concentration was remarkably increased. Serum ceruloplasmin could not be detected. Biopsy of the liver showed that iron content in the liver was increased. On MRI study, dentate nucleus of the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and the liver showed low intensity in both T 1 and T 2 weighted images. A nonsense mutation in the ceruloplasmin gene was found in this patient. Systemic iron deposition and tissue damage were considered as caused by deficiency of function of ceruloplasmin as ferroxidase. To our knowledge, the characteristic combination of the clinical signs in this patient has not been reported.