ARUP's Laboratory Test Directory

Iron, Liver : 0028250

Mnemonic: FE LIVER

Methodology: Quantitative Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry
Performed: Mon, Wed, Fri
Reported: 2-6 days
Specimen Required: Collect: Liver tissue obtained with an 18 gauge needle.

Specimen Preparation: Transport at least a 1 cm long specimen. Tissue can be fresh, paraffin-embedded, or dried. Also acceptable: Formalin-fixed. Specimens should be stored and transported in a metal-free container such as a royal blue (no additive).

Storage/Transport Temperature: Refrigerated.

Remarks: Age is required on test request form in order to calculate iron index.

Unacceptable Conditions: Specimens less than 0.25 mg (dry weight). Specimens stored or shipped in saline.

Stability (collection to initiation of testing): In paraffin block, preserved (formalin), or dried: Ambient: Indefinitely; Refrigerated: Indefinitely; Frozen: Indefinitely
Fresh tissue:
Ambient: Unacceptable; Refrigerated: 1 week; Frozen: Indefinitely


Reference Interval:
Effective May 16, 2011
Male Female
Hepatic Iron Content (HIC) 200-2,000 µg/g of tissue 200-1,600 µg/g of tissue
Hepatic Iron Index (HII) Less than 1.0 Less than 1.0

Interpretive Data: A Hepatic Iron Index (HII) is not calculated for patients less than 14 years. An HII less than 1.0 is consistent with normal iron accumulation. An HII 1.0 through 1.9 is consistent with mild iron accumulation such as in heterozygous hemochromatosis or alcoholic liver disease. An HII greater than 1.9 is consistent with iron overload such as in homozygous hemochromatosis, porphyria cutanea tarda, and cirrhotic liver disease. The HII will decrease with chelation, chronic blood loss, or phlebotomy.

See Compliance Statement B: www.aruplab.com/CS
CPT Code(s): 83540
Cross References: Fe (Iron, Liver), Hemochromatosis (Iron, Liver), Hepatic Iron Concentration (Iron, Liver), Hepatic Iron Index (Iron, Liver), Quantitative Iron (Iron, Liver)