DOUBLE PORPHYRIA: LITERATURE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL OBSERVATION

A brief review of the literature on the problem of double porphyria and analysis of its own observation is presented. For more than 10 years patient B was observed for more than 10 years with a verified diagnosis of acute intermittent porphyria, which manifested with acute pain abdominal syndrome, neurological disorders in the form of peripheral polyneuropathy and hemiparesis of lower extremities, and hypertension syndrome was also noted. The observed clinical symptoms corresponded to an acute porphyrin crisis in the manifestation and / or relapse of acute intermittent porphyria. The diagnosis was confirmed by a quantitative determination of the excretory profile of porphyrin precursors (δ-aminocaproic acid, porphobilinogen) and porphyrin fractions (uroporphyrin, coproporphyrin). Their concentrations are significantly (especially porphyrin precursors) exceeding the control values, which is the cardinal diagnostic criterion of acute intermittent porphyria. Against the backdrop of persistent clinical and biochemical remission of acute intermittent porphyria, symptoms of photosensitization of the skin (blisters, erosion, pigment spots) on the dorsal surface of the hands began to appear in 4 years. Later, hypertrichosis was formed in the temporo-periorbital region. The constellation type of the excretory profile of porphyrins began to change. Against the backdrop of persistent increased excretion of porphyrin precursors (δ-aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen), a progressive increase in the excretion of the fraction of uroporphyrin was observed, which became dominant (up to 58% of the total content of porphyrins). Such a prolonged observation in the dynamics allowed us to state the appearance of a new variant of the porphyrin exchange disturbance, which, taking into account clinical symptoms, corresponded to another form of hepatic porphyria, namely, late cutaneous porphyria. The clinical and biochemical changes in the excretory profile of the parameters of porphyrin metabolism registered in the dynamics of observation may indicate the occurrence of a combined enzymatic defect characteristic of double porphyria. In our case, a manifestation of late cutaneous porphyria was noted against a background of compensated acute intermittent porphyria.

acute intermittent porphyria, porphyrin crisis, late cutaneous porphyria, double porphyria, quantitative determination of the precursors - δ-aminolevulinic acid, quantitative determination of the precursors - porphobilinogen, quantitative determination of the precursors - porphyrin fractions - uroporphyrin, coproporphyrin