Also known as: Iron overload
16-year-old patient presents with severe edema in hands and feet, initially misdiagnosed as rhabdomyolysis. The hemochromatosis gave her unique susceptibility to Vibrio vulnificus infection from oysters, and iron supplementation (given for suspected bulimia) exacerbated the condition, causing liver damage and bleeding.
Patient contracted Vibrio vulnificus from eating oysters at hotel restaurant. The infection caused severe complications including bleeding around the heart (cardiac tamponade) and behind the kidneys. Her underlying hemochromatosis made her uniquely susceptible to this normally rare complication.
Also known as: Blood around the heart
Patient developed cardiac tamponade as a complication of the Vibrio infection and hemochromatosis. Blood accumulated around her heart muscle, constricting it and causing her to lose her pulse, requiring emergency drainage.
Also known as: Low potassium
Patient presented with low potassium levels causing temporary muscle paralysis and fatigue. This finding helped House rule out trauma as the cause of her symptoms, as she couldn't have physically climbed stairs and a fence in her weakened state.
Patient developed uncontrollable lying as a symptom of bleeding in her brain affecting her thalamus. Team used amobarbital as truth serum to try to get accurate history, though even under its influence she continued to fabricate stories.
Also known as: Terminal lung cancer
Wilson's patient who dies over the weekend while Wilson is at the conference. Referenced in Wilson's paper about euthanasia and end-of-life care decisions. The patient's death and Wilson's role in it form a significant emotional subplot.