Intramuscular iron therapy and tapetoretinal degeneration. A case report.

A 63-years-old male with pernicious anemia had been treated for 20 years with weekly injections of iron-dextran and cyanocobalamine. Ophthalmological examination revealed the ophthalmoscopic picture of a tapetoretinal degeneration, reduced visual acuity and narrow visual fields. ERG and dark-adaptation test were normal. Hematological examination including liver and bone marrow biopsies gave no support for the existence of systemic siderosis. It is proposed that the retinal degeneration is due to the extensive parenteral iron treatment with a total dose of approximately 100 grams of iron. This theory is supported by a previous experimental report.