Non-toxic Goitre in Males.

Occult bleeding from the gastro-intestinal tract for which no cause can be found is not uncommon in cases of iron-deficiency anaemia. A follow-up study of 68 patients in whom this diagnosis was made after initial investigation has revealed only 17 in whom some cause of bleeding became apparent (in 12 aspirin ingestion, in two bleeding piles, in one a gastric ulcer, in one a possible carcinoma of the rectum, and in one a carcinoma of the colon). The great majority of the remaining 51 patients were in good health two to 21 years after their initial investigation. Recurrence of the anaemia was frequent, occurring in over half the group, but it appeared to respond satisfactorily to oral iron.