[Chronic lead poisoning: Lead gout with giant tophi on the skin, nephrophathy and porphyrinopathy].

Chronic lead nephtropathy, secondary gout (lead-gout) and porphyrinuria may develop after long lasting professional exposure to lead. A printer with giant tophi on his hands and feet excreted a significantly higher amount of lead after infusion of calcium EDTA in comparison with a normal control person. This result indicates an increased mobilization of lead from skeletal deposits. Furthermore, the laboratory findings showed renal insufficency and porphyrinuria up to 1316 mug/l (elevation of total porphyrins with slight or no elevation of delta-amino-levulic acid and porphobilinogene). The clinical triad nephropathy, secondary gout and porphyrinuria seems to be a variant of chronic lead poisoning.