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  • Title: Porphyria cutanea tarda complicating Wilson's disease.
    Author: Chesney TM, Wardlaw LL, Kaplan RJ, Chow JF.
    Journal: J Am Acad Dermatol; 1981 Jan; 4(1):64-6. PubMed ID: 7204691.
    Abstract:
    A young woman is described in whom symptomatic porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) developed during copper chelation therapy for Wilson's disease. Termination of ethanol ingestion and oral contraceptive use resulted in cessation of blistering skin lesions and reduction in urinary porphyrin excretion. This is the first recorded coincidence of these two rare hepatic diseases. Therapeutic implications are discussed. A case report is presented of a young woman in whom symptomatic porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) developed during copper chelation therapy for Wilson's disease. The 22 year old white woman was seen in the summer of 1978 because of development of blisters on the dorsa of the hands associated with focal atrophic hypopigmentation, generalized hyperpigmentation of the skin, and hpertrichosis of the lateral forehead and face. A sibling had died in childhood with Wilson's disease. When the patient developed hepatomegaly, ascites, and an acute hepatitis syndrome at the age of 11, penicillamine therapy was empirically started, with gradual symptomatic improvement. When evaluated at the age of 22, abnormal laboratory values included a total bilirubin of 1.2 mg%; alkaline phosphatase, 96 U; serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), 175 U; serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), 122 U; gamma glutamyl trans peptidase (GGTP), 64 U; and Bromsulphalein (BSP) retention, 21% at 45 minutes. Skin biopsy from the hand revealed a noninflammatory subepidermal bulla with prominently PAS positive vessel walls in the festooned dermal papillae at the base of the blister. A fragmented liver biopsy failed to reveal evidence of active hepatitis or cirrhosis, but considerable stainable iron was present in both hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. A rubeanic acid stain for copper was negative. The patient was diagnosed as having Wilson's disease, hepatic hemosiderosis, and PCT. Cessation of all ethanol consumption and discontinuation of the oral contraceptives which she had been taking for 6 years, was recommended. On examination 9 and 22 months after these modifications were instituted, the patient felt asymptomatic and was without evidence of any new blisters or scars of her skin. The hyperpigmentation and hypertrichosis persisted, but she rigidly adhered to a program of penicillamine, topical sunscreen application, and abnegation of alcohol. Liver function studies were normal, and urinary porphyrin levels returned toward normal values. The clinical onset of this patient's blistering disease was temporally associated with ethanol and exogenous estrogen medication.
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