RT Journal
A1 Sauer GF, Funk DD
T1 IRon overload in cutaneous porphyria
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1969
FD August 1
VO 124
IS 2
SP 190
OP 196
DO 10.1001/archinte.1969.00300180062012
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1969.00300180062012
AB Clinical features, porphyrin excretion pattern, liver biopsies, and ferrokinetics were studied in four patients with cutaneous porphyria in whom there was no hereditary basis. One had been treated for idiopathic hemochromatosis by phlebotomy for eight years prior to the onset of skin lesions. Two patients had virtually no history of alcohol intake. The uroporphyrin level was elevated above that of coproporphyrin, and porphobilinogen was absent in all the patients. Mild to moderate alteration in liver function was observed. All four patients showed liver parenchymal iron loading. Hepatic localization of intravenously given ferrous citrate Fe 59 incubated with plasma was similar to the pattern observed in hemochromatosis. These observations indicate that cutaneous porphyria is more commonly associated with parenchymal iron overload than previously appreciated; however, it is suggested that iron removal per se does not account for the improvement in the skin lesions of these patients after phlebotomy.