treatment of the contributory hepatotoxic agents (for example, abstention for alcohol misuse, venesection for iron overload, and, somewhat controversially, chloroquine therapy) can lead to a useful improvement in the skin lesions, with long term remission in some patients
chloroquine
forms a complex with uroporphyrin and promotes release of uroporphyrin from the liver
may also inhibit the synthesis of uroporphyrin.
use of ultraviolet blockers are valuable in management of this condition
chelation with desferrioxamine is an alternative option where venesection is contraindicated in a patient with iron overload (1)
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page