[Neurological complications of acute intermittent porphyria precipitated by porphyrinogenic drugs and efficiency of heme-arginate treatment]. / Complications neurologiques de la porphyrie aiguë intermittente précipitées par les médicaments porphyrinogéniques et efficacité du traitement par l'hème-arginate.

BACKGROUND: Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a rare metabolic disorder of heme biosynthesis characterized by enzymatic defect of porphobiligen desaminase with accumulation and increased excretion of porphyrins and their precursors. Clinical picture is characterized by attacks with a triad of abdominal pain, psychiatric disorder and neurological involvement (central and peripheral). Peripheral nervous system manifestations, often precipitated by porphyrinogenic medications are of poor outcome. AIM: We report a new cases A 13-year-old girl who presented several attacks of AIP and developed acute severe axonal motor neuropathy, three weeks after porphyrinogenic medications (Famotidin, Phenobarbital and Nifedipine). CONCLUSION: We stress on the importance of early diagnosis of AIP to prevent serious neurological complications often precipitated by medications and the efficiency of heme arginate treatment when administrated early during the attacks.

Porphyria cutanea tarda.

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is the most frequent form of porphyria. The underlying enzymatic defect in PCT is a reduced activity of the enzyme uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (Uro-D). Four different types of Uro-D disturbances are known. Pseudoporphyrias such as porphyria cutanea uraemica or drug-induced PCT-like skin symptoms are distinguished from PCT. Porphyrinogens such as estrogens or alcohol, or other inducers of P450 isoenzymes provoke PCT. Polymorphisms of P450 isoenzymes, iron overload and infection with hepatitis C virus play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of disease manifestation. Dominant clinical symptoms are bullae, increased cutaneous vulnerability, hypertrichosis and elastosis. Biochemically, total porphyrin levels in urine are increased with a predominance of uroporphyrin and heptacarboxylic porphyrin. Isocoproporphyrin is demonstrable in feces. Best therapeutic strategies are the oral administration of chloroquine 125 mg twice a week and repetitive bloodlettings or the combination of both.

Porfiria hereditaria con doble deficiencia enzimática / Hereditary porphyria with double enzymatic deficiency

La porfiria intermitente aguda es una enfermedad hereditaria autosómica dominante, que puede presentarse con cuadro de dolor abdominal intermitente, en ocasiones simula abdomen agudo y los pacientes son llevados a cirugía abdominal por desconocer el defecto enzimático que han heredado. En la literatura existe múltiple información al respecto, citaremos el caso de la porfiria Chester, en el que describen cómo el diagnóstico no fue realizado en base a la similitud de esta alteración con otras enfermedades agudas, así como la existencia de una doble deficiencia enzimática no descrita antes. En este estudio se informa de un caso donde el diagnóstico fue omitido y el tratamiento incorrecto propicio o agravó la evolución de la enfermedad y también se detectó una doble deficiencia parcial enzimática, por la coexistencia de porfiria intermitente aguda y coproporfiria