Neuropsychiatric porphyria in patients with refractory epilepsy: report of three cases.
OBJECTIVE
Although epileptic seizures are an infrequent feature of acute attacks of the neuropsychiatric porphyrias, there are no significant reports of porphyria in chronic epilepsy. This paper attempts to redress the balance.


METHODS
Three case reports, including detailed laboratory and molecular diagnostics.


RESULTS
Two patients with variegate porphyria and one with acute intermittent porphyria, referred within 1 year to a specialist porphyria service, with a long history of chronic refractory epileptic seizures, are described.


CONCLUSIONS
Porphyria may be an aetiological factor in some cases of chronic refractory partial or generalised epilepsy. Porphyria should also be considered if addition of a new anti-epileptic medication causes a major deterioration in the epilepsy.
Winkler
A S
AS
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK.
Peters
T J
TJ
Elwes
R D C
RD
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011164:Porphyrias / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*
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