Porphyria cutanea tarda in south-east New South Wales

✍ Scribed by Ian McCrossin

• Book ID: 104469144
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 104 KB
• Volume: 43
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-8380
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-0960.2002.00614.x

✦ Synopsis

SUMMARY

Thirteen patients with porphyria cutanea tarda diagnosed between 1994 and 2000 were reviewed to evaluate the precipitating factors and associations of porphyria cutanea tarda in a regional area of coastal and rural NSW. The majority had more than one precipitating factor, with excess alcohol intake, mutations in the haemochromatosis gene, chronic hepatitis C infection and oestrogen therapy being the most common. Antibodies to the hepatitis C virus were detected in 25% and these patients presented at a younger age. Of the patients tested for the two known haemochromatosis gene mutations, six (46%) had at least one copy of the C282Y mutation. Two (15%) patients were homozygous for the C282Y mutation and two (15%) were compound heterozygous for the C282Y and H63D mutations. All patients responded to venesection, which is the treatment of choice for the majority of patients with porphyria cutanea tarda.