clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
Acute skin reactions may develop during direct sun exposure or shortly afterwards:
- burning, stinging and itching in sun-exposed skin:
- especially the face and hands
- skin lesions may be erythematous, oedematous or urticarial
- rarely, there may be purpura or bullae on the nose and hands
Chronic skin manifestations include:
- small, atrophic waxy scars over nose and dorsa of hands where the skin lesions have resolved
- "aged" knuckles and fingers where the skin has thickened, wrinkled and become waxy
- superficial scarring of the nose, face and back of the neck
Other features include:
- haemolytic anaemia
- splenomegaly
- cholelithiasis
- hepatic failure
- increased amounts of protoporphyrin in erythrocytes, and usually, the faeces.