Porphyria cutanea tarda-like syndrome in hemodialyzed patients

Among 500 patients on maintenance hemodialysis, 6 patients (5 young women and a 49-year-old man) developed bullous dermatosis, 2-54 months after initiating dialysis treatment. The skin lesions occurred mainly in sunlight-exposed areas, and 4 out of the 6 patients showed increased cutaneous fragility in response to trauma. Skin biopsy revealed subepidermal blisters for all of them, and skin immunofluorescence studies were negative for 2 patients. No increase in fecal or red cell coproporhyrin and protoporphyrin levels was found in any of the 6 patients. The syndrome was clinically and histologically indistinguishable from porphyria cutanea tarda.