The porphyrias are a group of blood conditions caused by a lack of an enzyme in the body that makes heme, an important molecule that carries oxygen throughout the body and is vital for all of the body’s organs. Major types include ALAD deficiency porphyria , acute intermittent porphyria, congenital erythropoietic porphyria , erythropoietic protoporphyria, hepatoerythropoietic porphyria, hereditary coproporphyria, porphyria cutanea tarda, and variegate porphyria. The most common type of porphyria is porphyria cutanea tarda. Some of the symptoms of porphyria include blistering, swelling, and itching when the skin is exposed to sun. Other symptoms may also include pain, numbness or tingling, vomiting, constipation and intellectual disability. There is no known cure for porphyria, but the multiple forms have different courses of treatment.^[1]

Most porphyrias are inherited conditions with either an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. Porphyria can also be caused by environmental factors such as infections or exposures to certain prescription drugs. This type of porphyria is called sporadic or acquired porphyria.^[2][3]

More about this disease

• Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Porphyria. Click on the link to go to GHR and review the information.
• MayoClinic.com provides information about porphyria. Click on the link to access this information.
• MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
• Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
• The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) was established in 1988 as a national resource for molecular biology information.  Click on the link to view information on this topic.
• The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), offers information on this condition. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
• The National Human Genome Research Institute's (NHGRI) mission encompasses a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease. Click on the link to view the information page on this topic.
• The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
• Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.  Access to this database is free of charge.  Click on the link to read information on this topic.
• PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Porphyria. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
• The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Porphyria. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.