[Oral contraceptives in prophylaxis of acute exacerbations of intermittent porphyria (author's transl)].

Out of 14 women with acute intermittent porphyria seven were treated for an average of five years with ovulation inhibitors. In another two cases a bilateral surgical oophorectomy and a radiotherapeutic castration were performed. Five untreated women formed the control group. In contrast to the control group there were no further acute exacerbations in the group treated with oral contraceptives. The two patients with oophorectomy and irradiation castration died following multiple acute exacerbations. In four of the women treated with oral contraceptives the development of persistent, and in some cases severe, arterial hypertension was observed. The pathogenesis cannot be explained.