[Successful treatment of haemodialysis-related porphyria cutanea tarda with deferoxamine].

BACKGROUND: End-stage renal failure and long-term hemodialysis treatment promote porphyria cutanea tarda. Iron overload is often associated with this disease and is thought to play a role in its pathogenesis. We report a case of hemodialysis related-porphyria cutanea tarda improved by deferoxamine.

CASE REPORT: A 45-year-old man, with end-stage renal failure and who had received hemodialysis treatment since 1993, presented a several months-history of blisters of the face and the dorsum of the hands. Laboratory analysis showed: hemoglobin 10 g/dl; a moderate hepatic cytolysis; ferritin 195 ng/l. HIV, HBV, HCV serologies were negative. Porphyries analyses showed a porphyria cutanea tarda pattern. The cutaneous histology was non specific; direct immunofluorescence was negative. The patient received deferoxamine (40 mg/kg intravenously every week for 6 weeks) which led to dramatic improvement of the symptoms.

DISCUSSION: Several treatments are proposed in the management of dialysis-related porphyria cutanea tarda. This case confirms that deferoxamine can induce rapid and prolonged remission.