Tratamiento de la porfiria cutánea tarda con cloroquina y su efecto sobre la hepatopatía asociada: análisis retrospectivo / Porphyria cutanea tarda treatment with chloroquine and it effect on associated hepatopathy: retrospective analysis

ABSTRACT

Chloroquine may improve cutaneous symptoms and liver disease manifestations in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda. To retrospectively analyze the effects of chloroquine in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda. Five patients (1 female), aged 45 to 65 years old, were studied. The duration of the disease ranged from 2 to 15 years. All patients received chloroquine 125 mg twice weekly. Before, during and after treatment, cutaneous signs, serum bilirubin, hepatic enzymes and urine copro and uroporphyrin were assessed. Four patients were subjected to a liver biopsy before starting chloroquine. All patients had increased levels of urine porphyrins, four had abnormal serum liver enzymes. All liver biopsies showed variable hemosiderosis, 2 patients had a chronic active hepatitis (1 with cirrhosis), one a chronic persistent hepatitis and one had a mild vague alterations. During chloroquine treatment, cutaneous symptoms improved in all patients, transaminases and gamma glutamyl transferase decreased. In 3, urine uroporphyrin increased initially and normalized afterwards. Chloroquine was well tolerated. Chloroquine improved symptoms, urine uroporphyrins and serum liver enzyme levels in treated patients