title: This is not leprosy but porphyria cutanea tarda.
abstract: Three cases of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) misdiagnosed as leprosy were seen between 1978 and 1984 at Kaduna, Nigeria. All three patients had been heavy drinkers of a native alcoholic beverage, "burukutu" as well as beer, for several years. Alcohol abstinence and oral chloroquine therapy produced satisfactory remission of the disease. This is believed to be the first report of cases of porphyria cutanea tarda from Nigeria.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D011164:Porphyrias / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*