Treatment of Hemodialysis-Related Porphyria Cutanea Tarda with Deferoxamine

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To the Editor: Several cases of hemodialysis-related porphyria cutanea tarda have been described1 , 2 in which insufficient removal of porphyrins through the hemodialysis membrane led to markedly increased levels of plasma porphyrins, with severe and mutilating skin lesions. The treatment of the disorder is very difficult, because chloroquine is ineffective3 and the anemia that accompanies chronic renal failure contraindicates venesection therapy.We recently used deferoxamine to treat a 22-year-old man in whom the diagnosis of hemodialysis-related porphyria cutanea tarda had been made on the basis of elevated levels of plasma porphyrins and decreased activity of erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase. His clinical and . . .