The amount of iron in the sample is then quantified and compared to normal, and evidence of liver damage, especially cirrhosis, is measured microscopically. Formerly, this was the only way to confirm a diagnosis of haemochromatosis, but measures of transferrin and ferritin along with a history are considered adequate in determining the presence of the malady. Risks of biopsy include bruising, bleeding, and infection. Now, when a history and measures of transferrin or ferritin point to haemochromatosis,  whether a liver biopsy is still necessary to quantify the amount of accumulated iron is debatable. MRI
MRI-based testing is a noninvasive and accurate alternative to measure liver iron concentrations. Other imaging
Clinically, the disease may be silent, but characteristic radiological features may point to the diagnosis. The increased iron stores in the organs involved, especially in the liver and pancreas, result in characteristic findings on unenhanced CT and a decreased signal intensity in MRI scans. Haemochromatosis arthropathy includes degenerative osteoarthritis and chondrocalcinosis. The distribution of the arthropathy is distinctive, but not unique, frequently affecting the second and third metacarpophalangeal joints of the hand. The arthropathy can, therefore, be an early clue as to the diagnosis of haemochromatosis. Functional testing
Based on the history, a physician might consider specific tests to monitor organ dysfunction, such as an echocardiogram for heart failure, or blood glucose monitoring for patients with haemochromatosis diabetes.
Suspicions were raised after it became obvious to friends and neighbours that Bluey Fletcher was suffering from the same fatal illness that had killed Yvonnes first husband. A police investigation led to the exhumation and testing of Desmond Butlers remains, which showed clear evidence of thallium, and this led to Yvonne being convicted of Butlers murder. She was sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after the NSW Government abolished the death penalty; she was eventually released in 1964. At the time of the trial it was reported that this was the first known case in Australia of a person being convicted of murder by administering thallium. The Fletcher case is also notable for the fact that one of the arresting officers was Sydney detective Fred Krahe, who later became notorious for his suspected close involvement with elements of Sydneys organised crime scene and his alleged involvement in the disappearance of social activist Juanita Nielsen. A month later, in October 1952, Bathurst grandmother Ruby Norton was tried for the murder of her daughters fiancé, Allen Williams, who died of thallium poisoning at Cowra Hospital in July 1952. Despite allegations that Norton hated all the men in her family and that she did not want Williams as a son-in-law, Norton was acquitted. In 1953 Sydney woman Veronica Monty, 45, was tried for the attempted murder of her son-in-law, noted Balmain and Australian rugby league player Bob Lulham, who was treated for thallium poisoning in 1952.