title: Pseudoporphyria: an atypical variant resembling toxic epidermal necrolysis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103-2714, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fekete
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kihiczak
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Samady
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Atkin
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011164:Porphyrias / Q000473:pathology*; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*