E80.1: Porphyria cutanea tarda

You are unable to produce a certain substance in the body properly because you have certain proteins that are not working properly. As a result, you are probably having problems with your skin.

The substance heme has various tasks in the body. For example, heme is contained in the red blood pigment. The red blood pigment transports oxygen in the blood vessels to the organs. Various proteins are needed to create heme. In the process, precursors of heme come into being. These precursors are called porphyrins.

In your case, a particular protein is not working properly. That is usually congenital, which means you were born with it. Or the protein is no longer working properly because the liver has been damaged. Symptoms usually only develop when the liver has been damaged in addition. That occurs in particular if you drink alcohol or if you are taking specific drugs. As a result, the heme in the liver especially cannot be properly created.

The precursors are then accumulating in your body. The precursors are predominantly deposited in the skin.

Your skin thus reacts very strongly to sunlight. Your skin is severely damaged by the sun. The skin then usually blisters and scars. Sometimes you may also get abdominal pain or circulation problems, for example. If the disease is very pronounced, you may be severely ill.

The cause of the disease cannot be treated. One therefore tries to prevent the liver from having to do a lot of work or being damaged.