Treatment of Hemodialysis-Related Porphyria cutanea tarda with Small Repeated Phlebotomies

Abstract

Phlebotomy is generally thought to be contraindicated in porphyria cutanea tarda (PTC) associated with hemodialysis for the anemia which is often present in uremic patients. We report a patient with a severe form of hemodialysis-related PTC and biochemical parameters suggestive of iron overload in whom treatment with small repeated phlebotomies was well tolerated without any significnt worsening of the anemia and gave marked biochemical improvement and complete clinical remission.