Porphyria cutanea tarda. A rare cutaneous manifestation of hepatic tumors.

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), the most common form of porphyria, may be one of the rare cutaneous manifestations of hepatic tumors, benign, malignant, or metastatic. The liver damage associated with PCT may predispose to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Our experience and a review of the literature suggest that in patients with PCT in whom the usual precipitating factors are absent, or in patients with PCT of long duration and an unexplained exacerbation, liver scan is indicated to rule out the presence of a hepatic tumor.