The role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is well established in the development of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma, as well as in mixed type II cryoglobulinemia, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis(MPGN) and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). Increasing evidence has been reported of a close association of HCV infection with autoimmune and hematological processes, mainly cytopenia...

Virus C infection has been associated with a broad spectrum of extrahepatic diseases such as essential mixed cryoglobulinemia, membranous glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus. The etiologic role of virus C has also been observed in some neoplasms such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the monoclonal gammapathies. Many studies also support the link between thi...

A 23-year-old laboratory assistant who routinely measured erythrocyte porphobilinogen deaminase and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase tested his own blood. When the results were unexpectedly high, a hematological evaluation was carried out (Table 1). A peripheral blood smear showed anisocytosis, poikilocytes, microspherocytes, elliptocytes, tear-drop forms, and schistocytes. He had jaundice as a n...

The association of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is rare. Systemic lupus erythematosus, of complex pathophysiology and pleomorphic clinical manifestations, is similar to PCT regarding photosensitivity. One finding that can differentiate both diseases is the presence of cutaneous blisters, which are rare in SLE, but characteristic of PCT. We report one case...

Cheung Sha Wan Dermatological Clinic, 3/F, West Kowloon Health Centre, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a rare metabolic disorder due to an inherited or acquired deficiency in uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase, the fifth enzyme in the haem synthesis pathway. We report a 57-year-old gentleman who presented with three mon...

Phlebotomy is the removal of blood from the body, and therapeutic phlebotomy is the preferred treatment for blood disorders in which the removal of red blood cells or serum iron is the most efficient method for managing the symptoms and complications. Therapeutic phlebotomy is currently indicated for the treatment of hemochromatosis, polycythemia vera, porphyria cutanea tarda, sickle cell disea...

Pseudoporphyria (PP) is a relatively rare, photodistributed bullous dermatosis that resembles porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), but it is not accompanied by porphyrin abnormalities in the serum, urine, or stool. It was initially described in renal failure patients on dialysis. Thereafter, it has been associated with several aetiological factors. We report a case of PP in a 67-year-old woman with m...

Analysis of porphyrins from the urine, blood, and feces of a congenital porphyria patient showed coproand uroporphyrins from the blood contained more than 95% of the Type I isomer, and those from stool and urine, about 90%. The intermediate hepta-, hexaand pentacarboxylic porphyrins from the urine contained 70% or less of the Type I isomer. The results are discussed and compared with those in p...

Porphyrias are a group of metabolic disorders, usually genetic in origin, secondary to deficiencies of various enzymes involved in the heme biosynthetic pathways. They are usually classified into hepatic and erythropoietic types based on the major sites of the porphyrin production. It is more clinically useful, however, to classify this disorder into acute and nonacute types based on the clinic...