Porphyria cutanea tarda: comparison of cases precipitated by alcohol and estrogens
Haberman, H.F.; Rosenberg, F.; Menon, I.A.
Canadian Medical Association Journal 113(7): 653-655
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4409 PMID: 1181022 Document Number: 84666
"Classic" porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is compared with that precipitated by estrogens in a total of 16 patients. The comparison of the 7 patients with PCT precipitated by excessive alcohol consumption (group A) with the 9 patients with PCT precipitated by estrogen therapy (group B) was based on clinical signs, biochemical and morphologic evidence of liver disease, results of serum iron studies and response to therapy. The Group A patients were men of mean age 57 years; the group B patients were women of mean age 39 years who had been taking estrogen orally, either for contraception (in combination with progesterone) or as replacement therapy. For both groups the clinical signs were essentially the same. Some patients in both groups had biochemical and morphologic evidence of liver disease. Group A patients had elevated values for serum iron and total iron binding capacity; group B patients had normal or low values. There was a spontaneous clinical and biochemical remission in group B patients if estrogen therapy of less than 1 year's duration was stopped. Otherwise, phlebotomy appeared to be the therapy of choice in both groups.