Case Report
Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 14, 2008; 14(38): 5913-5915
Published online Oct 14, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.5913
Porphyria cutanea tarda as a complication of therapy for chronic hepatitis C
James Azim, Heather McCurdy, Richard H Moseley
James Azim, Heather McCurdy, Richard H Moseley, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Richard H Moseley, MD, Chief, Medical Service (111), Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, 2215 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, United States. rmoseley@med.umich.edu
Telephone: +1-734-8455849 Fax: +1-734-9130883
Received: July 15, 2008
Revised: September 16, 2008
Accepted: September 23, 2008
Published online: October 14, 2008
Abstract

There is a strong association between porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) and chronic viral hepatitis C. Therapy for chronic viral hepatitis C may improve PCT. However, there are only a few reports of the de novo development of PCT during therapy for chronic viral hepatitis C. We describe the development of PCT in a 56-year-old patient with chronic viral hepatitis C after 12 wk of peginterferon/ribavirin therapy. In addition, the patient was homozygous for the H63D hereditary hemochromatosis gene (HFE) mutation. The association of PCT with chronic viral hepatitis C and the possible role of hepatic iron overload and ribavirin-induced hemolytic anemia in the development of PCT during therapy for chronic viral hepatitis C are discussed.

Keywords: Porphyria; Hepatitis C virus; Ribavirin; Pegylated interferon; Hemochromatosis