This 61-year-old female was first admitted to the hospital because of ascites and pedal edema. A liver biopsy revealed a marked intracellular accumulation of iron. The serum iron concentration was reported as 220 mcg/dL. On the basis of these studies, the diagnosis of hemochromatosis was made. It should be noted that the patient also exhibited an abnormal glucose tolerance curve test at this time (following the ingestion of a test dose of glucose, the blood glucose level rose to 290 mg/dL at one hour and remained at this level for the next three hours). Subsequent to the first admission, the patient was admitted on several occasions for ascites. The patient's last admission was necessitated by the development of symptoms and signs of hepatic failure (hepatic coma) characterized by jaundice and coma.