Acute porphyrias - A neurological perspective. 2021

Lea M Gerischer, and Franziska Scheibe, and Astrid Nümann, and Martin Köhnlein, and Ulrich Stölzel, and Andreas Meisel
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Neurology, Berlin, Germany.

Acute hepatic porphyrias (AHP) can cause severe neurological symptoms involving the central, autonomic, and peripheral nervous system. Due to their relative rarity and their chameleon-like presentation, delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis are common. AHPs are genetically inherited disorders that result from heme biosynthesis enzyme deficiencies and comprise four forms: acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), variegate porphyria (VP), hereditary coproporphyria (HCP), and ALA-dehydratase porphyria (ALADP). Depending on the clinical presentation, the main differential diagnoses are Guillain-Barré syndrome and autoimmune encephalitis. Red flags that could raise the suspicion of acute porphyria are neurological symptoms starting after severe (abdominal) pain, in association with reddish urine, hyponatremia or photodermatitis, and the presence of encephalopathy and/or axonal neuropathy. We highlight the diagnostic difficulties by presenting three cases from our neurological intensive care unit and give a comprehensive overview about the diagnostic findings in imaging, electrophysiology, and neuropathology.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009422 Nervous System Diseases Diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. This includes disorders of the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscle. Neurologic Disorders,Nervous System Disorders,Neurological Disorders,Disease, Nervous System,Diseases, Nervous System,Disorder, Nervous System,Disorder, Neurologic,Disorder, Neurological,Disorders, Nervous System,Disorders, Neurologic,Disorders, Neurological,Nervous System Disease,Nervous System Disorder,Neurologic Disorder,Neurological Disorder
D011164 Porphyrias A diverse group of metabolic diseases characterized by errors in the biosynthetic pathway of HEME in the LIVER, the BONE MARROW, or both. They are classified by the deficiency of specific enzymes, the tissue site of enzyme defect, or the clinical features that include neurological (acute) or cutaneous (skin lesions). Porphyrias can be hereditary or acquired as a result of toxicity to the hepatic or erythropoietic marrow tissues. Porphyria,Porphyrin Disorder,Disorder, Porphyrin,Disorders, Porphyrin,Porphyrin Disorders
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000623 Porphobilinogen Synthase An enzyme that catalyzes the formation of porphobilinogen from two molecules of 5-aminolevulinic acid. EC 4.2.1.24. Aminolevulinate Hydro-Lyase,Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase,ALA-Dehydrase,delta-Aminolevulinate Dehydratase,delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase,ALA Dehydrase,Acid Dehydratase, Aminolevulinic,Acid Dehydratase, delta-Aminolevulinic,Aminolevulinate Hydro Lyase,Dehydratase, Aminolevulinic Acid,Dehydratase, delta-Aminolevulinate,Dehydratase, delta-Aminolevulinic Acid,Hydro-Lyase, Aminolevulinate,Synthase, Porphobilinogen,delta Aminolevulinate Dehydratase,delta Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase
D017094 Porphyrias, Hepatic A group of metabolic diseases due to deficiency of one of a number of LIVER enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway of HEME. They are characterized by the accumulation and increased excretion of PORPHYRINS or its precursors. Clinical features include neurological symptoms (PORPHYRIA, ACUTE INTERMITTENT), cutaneous lesions due to photosensitivity (PORPHYRIA CUTANEA TARDA), or both (HEREDITARY COPROPORPHYRIA). Hepatic porphyrias can be hereditary or acquired as a result of toxicity to the hepatic tissues. Hepatic Porphyria,Porphyria, Hepatic,Hepatic Porphyrias
D017118 Porphyria, Acute Intermittent An autosomal dominant porphyria that is due to a deficiency of HYDROXYMETHYLBILANE SYNTHASE in the LIVER, the third enzyme in the 8-enzyme biosynthetic pathway of HEME. Clinical features are recurrent and life-threatening neurologic disturbances, ABDOMINAL PAIN, and elevated level of AMINOLEVULINIC ACID and PORPHOBILINOGEN in the urine. Hydroxymethylbilane Synthase Deficiency,Uroporphyrinogen Synthase Deficiency,Acute Porphyria,PBGD Deficiency,Porphobilinogen Deaminase Deficiency,Porphyria, Swedish Type,UPS Deficiency,Acute Intermittent Porphyria,Acute Intermittent Porphyrias,Acute Porphyrias,Deaminase Deficiencies, Porphobilinogen,Deaminase Deficiency, Porphobilinogen,Deficiencies, Hydroxymethylbilane Synthase,Deficiencies, PBGD,Deficiencies, Porphobilinogen Deaminase,Deficiencies, UPS,Deficiencies, Uroporphyrinogen Synthase,Deficiency, Hydroxymethylbilane Synthase,Deficiency, PBGD,Deficiency, Porphobilinogen Deaminase,Deficiency, UPS,Deficiency, Uroporphyrinogen Synthase,Hydroxymethylbilane Synthase Deficiencies,Intermittent Porphyria, Acute,Intermittent Porphyrias, Acute,PBGD Deficiencies,Porphobilinogen Deaminase Deficiencies,Porphyria, Acute,Porphyrias, Acute,Porphyrias, Acute Intermittent,Porphyrias, Swedish Type,Swedish Type Porphyria,Swedish Type Porphyrias,Synthase Deficiencies, Hydroxymethylbilane,Synthase Deficiencies, Uroporphyrinogen,Synthase Deficiency, Hydroxymethylbilane,Synthase Deficiency, Uroporphyrinogen,Type Porphyria, Swedish,Type Porphyrias, Swedish,UPS Deficiencies,Uroporphyrinogen Synthase Deficiencies

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