Porphyria cutanea praematura caused by hormonal contraceptives
Doss, M.
Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift 102(23): 875-877
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-0472 PMID: 872749 Document Number: 432966
Leonhardi's isolation of a form of hormonal-contraceptive-induced porphyria cutanea praematura, differentiated from porphyria cutanea tarda by a dominance of heptacarboxy porphyrin over urocarboxy porphyrin in the total porphyrin, is criticized. To refute this, 3 cases are described of young females on hormonal contraceptives who developed a typical porphyria cutanea tarda, with, in all cases, the typical constellation of porphyrin excretion in urine, that is urocarboxy porphyrin dominant over heptacarboxy porphyrin. The same relationship was observed in a 24-year-old male patient. It is concluded that Leonardi's postulation was based on faulty interpretation or inaccurate methods.