Liver changes in porphyria cutanea tarda patients treated with chloroquine

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Abstract
In 34 patients with porphyria cutanea tarda treated with small doses of chloroquine, liver biopsies were performed before and after treatment. In 17 cases (50%) the morphological patterns before treatment corresponded to unstabilized fibrosis, while in 11 (32.4%) there were non-specific changes in the form of focal fatty change, hemosiderosis and a mild fibrosis of the portal tracts. Active chronic hepatitis was found in 3 patients (8.8%), and cirrhosis also in 3 cases. Although in all patients a clinical and metabolic remission of porphyria cutanea tarda occurred during treatment, the morphological patterns in the liver parenchyma remained on the whole unchanged. Only in 5 cases was there an increase in the inflammatory changes, while in 2 patients these changes tended to disappear.