Fatal Iron Intoxication with Multiple Coagulation Defects and Degradation of Factor VIII and Factor XIII

A severe iron intoxication in a 15-year-old girl resulted in profound damage to vital organs and multiple clotting defects, but no haemorrhagic diathesis. Investigation revealed not only impaired synthesis of coagulation factors but also abnormal proteo-lysis by plasmin as well as by other proteolytic enzymes liberated from leucocytes and damaged tissue cells affecting especially factor VIII and factor XIII.