treatment

Last reviewed 01/2018

  • treatment of the contributory hepatotoxic agents (for example, abstention for alcohol misuse, venesection for iron overload, and, somewhat controversially, chloroquine therapy) can lead to a useful improvement in the skin lesions, with long term remission in some patients
    • chloroquine
      • forms a complex with uroporphyrin and promotes release of uroporphyrin from the liver
      • may also inhibit the synthesis of uroporphyrin.
    • use of ultraviolet blockers are valuable in management of this condition
  • chelation with desferrioxamine is an alternative option where venesection is contraindicated in a patient with iron overload (1)

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