[Porphyrin metabolic disorders in porphyria cutanea tarda].

Altogether 98 patients have been examined, suffering from latent porphyria (n = 18) and manifest porphyria cutanea tarda (n = 80). 90 (91.8%) examinees abused alcohol. Clinical manifestation of the disease is associated with an essential rise of the blood plasma and urine uroporphyrin. Three types of porphyrinemia have been detected in the patients with manifest porphyria cutanea tarda, these types related to the degree of uroporphyrin level increase in the blood plasma and to the length of the disease: (I) uroporphyrinemia, (II) urocoproporphyrinemia, (III) urocoproprotoporphyrinemia. Porphyrinemia types are estimated as successive stages in the development of porphyrin metabolism disorders and are regarded among the criteria determining the clinical pattern of manifest porphyria cutanea tarda.