case report clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges in acute...

Hindawi Publishing CorporationCase Reports in HematologyVolume 2013, Article ID 628602, 6 pageshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/628602

Case ReportClinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Challenges inAcute Porphyrias

Henry Trier,1 Vikram P. Krishnasamy,1 and Pashtoon Murtaza Kasi2

1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA2 International Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC),Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA

Correspondence should be addressed to Pashtoon Murtaza Kasi; [email protected]

Received 21 November 2012; Accepted 8 January 2013

Academic Editors: D. J. Allsup, S. Aref, and E. Arellano-Rodrigo

Copyright © 2013 Henry Trier et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The porphyrias are a group of disorders characterized by an enzyme deficiency in the heme biosynthetic pathway. These can beclassified into either erythropoietic or hepatic forms depending on the site of the major enzyme deficiency. The diagnosis of acuteporphyrias, however, can be very challenging due to overlapping features amongst the various types. Initial suspicion is based ona myriad of clinical manifestations, which then are confirmed by laboratory testing where available. Genetic testing is now alsoavailable for the different types of porphyrias, aiding in the definitive diagnosis. Here, we present a challenging case of porphyriain a patient with end-stage renal disease and present the diagnostic challenges associated with the case and the ways forward.

1. Case Presentation

A 34-year-old gentleman with a history of end stage renaldisease (ESRD) secondary to focal segmental glomeruloscle-rosis, for which he is on hemodialysis, and unexplainedperipheral neuropathy, presented to the hospital with severeintractable epigastric pain and dark urine.

Of note, the patient had two recent hospital admissions.The first admission, about a month prior, was due to asignificant transaminitis (initial AST and ALT levels were2851 IU/L and 3850 IU/L, resp.). Testing done at admissionwas notable for an elevated ferritin (>1500 ng/mL; subsequentgenetic testing for the HFE gene was negative), negative viralhepatitis serologies, and negative tests for alpha 1 antitrypsin,ANA, antismooth muscle antibody, and antimitochondrialantibody. By discharge the AST and ALT had declined to1446 IU/L and 298 IU/L, respectively. The liver injury wasattributed to congestive hepatopathy secondary to misseddialysis sessions. The second admission, about a week prior,was due to altered mental status, hyperkalemia, epigastricabdominal pain, and a mild transaminitis (his ALT and ASThad normalized in the interim) in the setting of misseddialysis sessions. His confusion and electrolyte abnormalities

resolved with emergent and repeated dialysis. Of interest,during the second admission, the patient developed distalbullae on his feet.

On presentation, the patient endorsed numerous attacksof sharp, constant epigastric pain, which were not affected byfood and were associated with both nausea and vomiting. Hedenied any changes in his bowel movements.This abdominalpain had an extensive prior workup. An esophagogastroduo-denoscopy (EGD) done a week prior showed LA Grade Aesophagitis, healing esophageal ulcers, mild gastritis, antralerosions, mild-to-moderate duodenitis, and one small duo-denal ulcer with a clean base (H. pylori testing was negative).A right-upper quadrant ultrasound a week prior was withoutgallstones or biliary duct dilatation. An abdominal comput-erized tomography scan a month prior was unremarkablesave hepatic steatosis. A normal gastric emptying study andhepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan were doneseven months prior. For the imaged esophageal, gastric,and duodenal inflammation, the patient’s medications wereoptimized to twice daily pantoprazole without subsequentalleviation of pain. The patient also endorsed one episode of“grape-juice-colored” urine the day prior to admission in thecontext of dysuria, without concurrent fever or chills.

2 Case Reports in Hematology

Figure 1: Blistering lesions in various stages of healing seen inour patient as noted in neurocutaneous porphyrias and porphyriacutanea tarda [5].

Figure 2: Dark urine noted during several of admissions forprobable porphyria (urine may appear dark or purple during anattack or after standing in light due to the presence of porphyrins)[6].

The physical exam was notable for both epigastric andsuprapubic tenderness, as well as a four-centimeter ulcerationon the plantar aspect of his right foot, with several smallulcerations noted on the second and third digits of his left foot(Figure 1). His urine was noted to be purple to black in color(Figure 2). There was neither hyperpigmentation nor hyper-trichosis. A urinalysis was done which was significant for 4+blood, trace leukocyte esterase, negative nitrite, 478WBCs,and 297 RBCs (Figure 2). WBC count was elevated at 12.6.For presumed prostatitis, the patient was started initiallyon IV ceftriaxone that was later transitioned to a course oforal ciprofloxacin. Repeat urinalysis done 2 days later wassignificant for 2+ blood, negative leukocyte esterase, negativenitrite, 3WBCs, and no RBCs. WBC count decreased to 6.6during this period.

The patient on routine labs was also found to have anacute on chronic anemia (hemoglobin baseline 10-11 g/dL,Hgb on admission 9.7 g/dL with an MCV of 92.6 and anRDW of 19.9). Further evaluation was consistent with ahemolytic anemia (Table 2). Subsequent workup for anetiology of the hemolysis was negative including hemoglobinelectrophoresis, Coombs test, and G6PD testing.

After review of the prior records depicting the recurrentpresentations for abdominal pain (∼30 emergency roomvisits), combined with the new onset of dark urine, thedevelopment of distal bullae on his feet, the unexplained pasthistory of neuropathy, and the altered mental status withsome ongoing psychiatric symptoms, a unifying diagnosisof possible acute intermittent porphyria was considered andurine and serum porphyria labs were sent.

Following is an account of the clinical manifestations andthe challenges faced in the diagnosis of acute porphyriasalong with the discussion of the case.

2. Discussion

The porphyrias are a group of disorders characterized by anenzyme deficiency in the heme biosynthetic pathway. Thesecan be classified into either erythropoietic or hepatic formsdepending on the site of the major enzyme deficiency, butoften, this task is complicated by overlapping features. Fromthe clinical standpoint, they can be also divided into acute andnonacute forms depending on the presence or absence of anacute porphyria attack [7, 10]. Initial suspicion of a possiblediagnosis is based on a myriad of clinical manifestations(Table 1), which appear to have significant variance and areconfirmed by laboratory testing where available [11].

The most common acute porphyria is acute intermittentporphyria (AIP), an autosomal dominant disorder of anenzyme called porphobilinogen (PBG) deaminase [12]. Thedisease is characterized by a partial deficiency of this enzyme(half normal activity), and thus the symptoms of AIPmay notappear until the second or third decade of life. Exposure toa precipitating agent can lead to an earlier presentation [13].Women are more commonly affected than men. Hormonalfactors have been implicated, giving explanation to why AIPmay not be apparent until puberty [14]. Penetrance is alsovariable, so a family historymay not be present in some cases.

AIP is one of the acute hepatic porphyrias, a group thatalso includes hereditary coproporphyria (HCP), variegateporphyria (VP), and ALA dehydratase deficient porphyria(ALAD). These classically present with a neurological com-plaint [15, 16]. Peripheral neuropathy is the most commoncentral nervous systemmanifestation. Motor symptoms tendto affect the proximal muscles, more frequently the upperextremities. Sensory symptoms are less common than motor,but include paresthesias and sensory loss. The autonomicnervous system can also be affected leading to tachycardia,hypertension, tremor, and sweats.

Of the acute hepatic porphyrias, cutaneous manifesta-tions in sun exposed areas are usually seen in VP and HCP.Thus, these two are sometimes referred to as the neuro-cutaneous porphyrias. The dermatologic manifestations are

Case Reports in Hematology 3

Table 1: Clinical manifestations seen in attacks of acute porphyrias and findings noted in our case [1–4].

Findings seen in patients with porphyria Findings seen in our patientNeuropsychiatric manifestations

Autonomic nervous system (tachycardia, arrhythmias, restlessness, tremor,sweating, etc.)

Tachycardia noted on some hospital admissions, butat the same time, the patient is on a beta blocker.

PeripheralSensory

Neuropathy (peripheral sensory) Has underlying neuropathy without any otherunderlying cause, on gabapentin.

MotorMotor paresis

Central nervous systemImpairment of bulbar or respiratory function (respiratory paralysis)Convulsions/seizures

PsychiatricPsychiatric manifestations (behavior change, agitation, anxiety, and

depression)Has ongoing anxiety/depression along with someagitation episodes.

Mental status changes Multiple admissions for mental status changes.Visceral manifestations

(i) Abdominal pain(ii) Other locations of pain (chest, back, and limb)

More than 30 presentations over the past couple ofyears for abdominal pain and some for chest pain;has necessitated at least 6 computerized tomography(CT scans) and multiple ultrasound examinations.

Other GI symptoms: constipation, ileus, vomiting, and abdominal distention Present in our patient.Bladder dysfunction (urinary retention, incontinence, and dysuria) Endorsed dysuria on some admissions.HTN Noted in our patient.Chronic kidney disease Present, necessitating dialysis.

Hyponatremia (from syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH)) Hyponatremia noted on some admissions but exactetiology not worked up.

Dark-colored urine See Figure 2.Cutaneous manifestations

Bullous lesions usually uncommon in AIP (except for some patients withESRD) but seen more so in neurocutaneous porphyrias (VP and HCP).Lesions not distinguishable from those of PCT.

See Figure 1.

similar to the bullous lesions seen with porphyria cutaneatarda (PCT). VP is common in some parts of the worldincluding South Africa. HCP, however, is extremely rare.

Diagnosis of an acute porphyria attack is usually sug-gested by a triad of symptoms: visceral abdominal pain,neurological dysfunction, and psychiatric disturbances, suchas mental status changes. Of these, abdominal pain is themost troublesome for patients and is the most frequentcause of hospital admission [17]. This trend is exemplifiedby our patient who had more than 30 emergency roomvisits within the past year for abdominal pain. Since theseverity of abdominal pain in an acute porphyria attack canmimic that of an acute abdomen, the acute hepatic porphyriasare of interest for a broad group of specialists, includinginternists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, and gynecologists[7]. Abdominal pain occurs in 85–95% of patients. It can beconstant with poor localization and is often accompanied bynausea, vomiting, constipation, and ileus. Since symptomsare more neuropathic than inflammatory, leukocytosis and

fever are generally not present during an acute attack. Overtime, repeated attacks can lead to chronic pain and elevatedtransaminases. Bladder dysfunction may also be present,accompanied by changes in urine color, which is usuallysecondary to a hemolysis noted in some porphyrias.

Psychiatric manifestations accompany acute attacks in upto 80% of the cases. Symptoms include anxiety, depression,hallucinations, paranoia, and mental status changes (rangingfrom mild confusion to encephalopathy and coma). Ourpatient had multiple admissions for altered mental status andencephalopathy of unknown etiology.

In addition, both hypertension and a chronic kidney dis-ease are reported as consequences of long-term symptomaticdisease in acute porphyrias [1].Worsening renal insufficiencycan increase both the severity and frequency of porphyriaattacks [2]. Of note, our patient had ESRD, which was poorlycontrolled given multiple missed dialysis sessions.

Due to the high degree of symptom variance, it iscrucial to have a high index of suspicion when making the


Table 2: Biochemical abnormalities noted in our patient [1, 7–9].

Labs Level Normal range Usually consistent with++

PlasmaPorphobilinogen deaminase(PBGD activity erythrocyte)2 16.1 <6.0 nmol/L/s

(diminished)Normal in HCP and VP,

and usually deficient in AIP.Total porphyrins (plasma)3 22.6 ↑ 8.2 ↑ 1.0–5.6mcg/LCoproporphyrins 7.3 ↑ 1.8 ↑ ≤0.8mcg/L HCP, VP, and CEP.Heptacarboxyporphyrins 1.4 ↑ 0.6 ↑ ≤0.2mcg/L PCT and HEP.Hexacarboxyporphyrins ND ND ≤0.3mcg/LPentacarboxyporphyrins 0.9 ↑ ND ≤0.4mcg/L PCT, VP.Protoporphyrins 8.7 ↑ 2.8 0.4–4.8mcg/L EPP, VP.Uroporphyrins 4.3 ↑ 3.0 ↑ ≤0.2mcg/L PCT, VP.

Zinc protoporphyrin (erythrocyte) 108 ↑ <100mcg/dL

HEP mainly, butnonspecific increases

common in other types ofporphyrias including ADP.

Urine

Delta-aminolevulinic acid1 0.3 0.5 <1.8mg/g creat HCP, VP, CEP, EPP, HEP,and PCT.

24-hour urine labs3

Total porphyrins 55.2 31–139mg/g creatCoproporphyrins 10.7 ↓ 23–130mg/g creatHeptaporphyrin 3.2 ≤4.6mg/g creatHexaporphyrins ND UndetectablePentaporphyrin ND ≤1.7mg/g creatUroporphyrin 41.3 ↑ ≤22mg/g creat VP, CEP, HEP, and PCT.

Fecal profile (not available)Other labs

Ferritin >1500 10–282 ng/mL Iron overload precipitatesPCT.

Iron sats 91–125% 25–50%

LDH 2512 ↑ 2070 ↑ <171 IU/L

Hemolytic anemia usuallymost severe in CEP, but canbe seen to some extent with

other porphyrias.Haptoglobin <5.8 ↓ <5.8 ↓ 36–195mg/dL

++Based on the literature, some of the patterns noted were not consistently present in other studies, and overlapping trends have been reported, furthersignifying the need for genetic diagnosis in such cases.1Delta-aminolevulinic Acid: +ve (acute intermittent porphyria, ALA dehydratase deficiency), −ve (congenital erythropoietic porphyria, erythropoieticprotoporphyria, hepatoerythropoietic porphyria, and porphyria cutanea tarda), and +/− (hereditary coproporphyria, variegate porphyria).2Please note that 5–10% of affected individuals have normal PBGD activity in erythrocytes.3Patientswith hereditary forms of porphyria usuallywill presentwith profound elevations of these analytes (>5-fold) during acute episodes.Moderate elevations(<3-fold) are more often due to medications or environmental factors.

diagnosis. Initial testing for AIP involves measurement ofurinary porphobilinogen (PBG). Levels tend to be normalduring asymptomatic periods but are significantly increasedin both the urine and blood during acute attacks, thusmakingit paramount to draw labs during an acute attack. Urinelevels during acute attacks are generally 50–200mg/day.However, elevated levels can also be seen with HCP or VP.If initial testing is negative on a spot urine sample but clinicalsuspicion remains high, a 24-hour urine collection along

with quantitative measurements of delta-aminolevulinic acid(ALA), PBG, and total porphyrins should be obtained.

This workup can be challenging in patients with end-stage renal disease (as in our case) and in patients whoare anuric. In these patients, plasma measurements are ofparticular importance with the reference range for the valuesbeing higher in patients with renal failure than in normalindividuals [18]. Hindmarsh and colleagues have reportedon the plasma profiles observed in those with porphyria

Case Reports in Hematology 5

and those with severe renal failure with skin lesions typicalfor PCT (a process coined pseudoporphyria of renal failure)to help determine patterns and reference ranges for thisparticular subset of patients where interpretation of the labvalues can be particularly difficult [19].

Once elevated levels have been identified, one must stilldifferentiate AIP from other porphyrias such as HCP andVP. To answer this question, measurements of erythrocytePBG deaminase (PBGD) activity along with quantitativemeasurements of porphyrins in the plasma, urine, and fecesneed to be obtained. Low erythrocyte PBG activity helps toverify the diagnosis of AIP but is not an effective tool forinitial diagnosis. Plasma porphyrins are elevated in VP, andfecal porphyrins, while normal in AIP, tend to be significantlyelevated in both HCP and VP. Some of the fecal porphyrinscan even remain elevated between periods of attacks. It istherefore extremely important to have complete biochemicalprofiles of plasma, urine, and fecal porphyrins available.Expert consultation here may be of great value in helpingto distinguish amongst the porphyrias. Unfortunately, withrespect to our patient, the plasma levels of some of the labswere collected initially, but the urine labs were not collecteduntil two weeks later. The spectrum of his lab abnormalitiesis outlined in Table 2.

Based on the data obtained, our patient exhibits theclinical profile of an acute hepatic porphyria (the neurocuta-neous porphyrias VP and HCPmore so than AIP). However,his biochemical profile is confusing and overlaps with CEP,HEP, VP, HCP, and PCT. Of note, concurrent conditionslike a hemolytic anemia may lead to increased prematurecells in the circulation, leading to a falsely normal enzymeactivity level (used to screen for porphyrias). In addition,interpretation of these profiles in the setting of ESRD isparticularly difficult. The pseudoporphyrias of renal failureand bullous lesions seen in somepatientswith ESRDare otheritems to consider in the differential diagnosis.

Our patient had an episode of severe liver injury whichpreceded the onset of both the severe epigastric pain andthe bullous lesions. This course raises the possibility thatgiven the hepatic synthesis of the enzymes involved, the priorinsult may have tipped him over to the current presentation.Another interesting fact is the association of PCT withconditions predisposing to iron overload (hemochromatosisand ESRD) and increased hepatic deposition of iron as aprecipitating factor.

Genetic testing greatly helps to establish a diagnosis whenthe clinical presentation and the laboratory results may notexactly fit one type of porphyria. Currently, DNA testingis not readily available at most centers. The Mount SinaiGenetic Testing Laboratory in New York City does DNAtesting for seven porphyrias: AIP, HCP, VP, familial PCT,hepatoerythropoietic porphyria (HEP), erythropoietic pro-toporphyria (EPP), and congenital erythropoietic porphyria(CEP). Apparently, this is the only laboratory in the UnitedStates that offers DNA testing for all of these porphyrias. Theestimated cost for DNA testing as reported on the AmericanPorphyria Foundation’s website for one specific porphyriais approximately $850. Three porphyrias can be tested forapproximately $1850. Results from DNA testing are typically

available in 2 to 4 weeks [6]. Unfortunately, our patient didnot want to pursue the diagnosis, refused genetic testing, andwas lost to followup.

Once the diagnosis is made, patient education regardingprevention is a key. Acute attacks are often precipitatedby a number of factors, most commonly alcohol, low-calorie diets, hormones, and numerous drugs (anupdated database of unsafe medications can be foundat http://www.porphyriafoundation.com). Just providingpatients with information about precipitants and theimportance of avoiding them can decrease the number ofpatients who present with acute attacks by 80–90%, and halfwill have milder symptoms during their lifetime [3].

Acknowledgment

The authors are deeply indebted to the patient for allowingthem to present his information as a case report.

References

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[14] S. J. McNulty and K. J. Hardy, “Two patients with acute inter-mittent porphyria treated with nafarelin to prevent menstrualexacerbations,” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, vol. 93,no. 8, pp. 429–430, 2000.

[15] M. Mehta, G. P. Rath, U. P. Padhy, M. Marda, C. Mahajan, andH. H. Dash, “Intensive care management of patients with acuteintermittent porphyria: clinical report of four cases and reviewof literature,” Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, vol. 14,no. 2, pp. 88–91, 2010.

[16] H. C. Kuo, C. C. Huang, C. C. Chu et al., “Neurological com-plications of acute intermittent porphyria,” European Journal ofNeurology, vol. 66, no. 5, pp. 247–252, 2011.

[17] A. C. Y. Laiwah, G. J. A. MacPhee, P. Boyle, M. R. Moore,and A. Goldberg, “Autonomic neuropathy in acute intermittentporphyria,” Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry,vol. 48, no. 10, pp. 1025–1030, 1985.

[18] J. D. Phillips and K. E. Anderson, “Chapter 57: the porphyrias,”in Williams Hematology, J. T. Prchal, K. Kaushansky, M. A.Lichtman, T. J. Kipps, and U. Seligsohn, Eds., McGraw-Hill,New York, NY, USA, 8th edition, 2010.

[19] J. T. Hindmarsh, L. Oliveras, and D. C. Greenway, “Erratum:plasma porphyrins in the porphyrias,” Clinical Chemistry, vol.45, no. 7, pp. 1070–1076, 1999.

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