Pseudoporphyria: an atypical variant resembling toxic epidermal necrolysis.
BACKGROUND
Pseudoporphyria has been attributed to both medication usage and chronic hemodialysis. Histologically, it is identical to porphyria cutanea tarda. It is most commonly seen as localized bullae on sun-exposed skin, often on the dorsum of the hands and fingers.


OBJECTIVE
We describe a 31-year-old man with rapidly evolving bullae which became denuded, clinically suggestive of toxic epidermal necrolysis. Pseudoporphyria was proven histologically. However, our patient's eruption was not localized as small bullae but was widespread, with large bullae evolving into large, cutaneous, denuded erosions.


CONCLUSIONS
We describe a previously unreported, generalized variant of pseudoporphyria that resembles toxic epidermal necrolysis. We provide a review of pseudoporphyria and compare our variant to toxic epidermal necrolysis and mimicking disorders.
Papadopoulos
A J
AJ
Dermatology, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103-2714, USA.
Schwartz
R A
RA
Fekete
Z
Z
Kihiczak
G
G
Samady
J A
JA
Atkin
S H
SH
Lambert
W C
WC
D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011164:Porphyrias / Q000473:pathology*; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*