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Updated: Oct 2, 2026

A Standardized Procedure of Dressing Management for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
Published on: March 14, 2025
Pseudoporphyria: an atypical variant resembling toxic epidermal necrolysis
A J Papadopoulos1, R A Schwartz, Z Fekete
1Dermatology, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103-2714, USA.
Background:
Pseudoporphyria has been attributed to both medication usage and chronic hemodialysis. Histologically, it is identical to porphyria cutanea tarda. It is most commonly seen as localized bullae on sun-exposed skin, often on the dorsum of the hands and fingers.
Objectives:
We describe a 31-year-old man with rapidly evolving bullae which became denuded, clinically suggestive of toxic epidermal necrolysis. Pseudoporphyria was proven histologically. However, our patient's eruption was not localized as small bullae but was widespread, with large bullae evolving into large, cutaneous, denuded erosions.
Conclusions:
We describe a previously unreported, generalized variant of pseudoporphyria that resembles toxic epidermal necrolysis. We provide a review of pseudoporphyria and compare our variant to toxic epidermal necrolysis and mimicking disorders.
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