Electroneurophysiological abnormalities in porphyria cutanea tarda

Summary Electromyography and motor and sensory conduction velocity tests were carried out on 57 patients suffering from porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). In 47 patients (82·5%) the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy could be established. The neuropathic involvement was classified as axonal in 19 cases, demyelinating in three cases and mixed in the remaining 25 cases. The electroneurophysiological findings were not statistically related to neurological symptoms, age at onset or evolution of the porphyric disease, alcoholic consumption, previous syphilitic disease, impairment of carbohydrate metabolism, functional or histological hepatic abnormalities, nor amount of urinary porphyrin excretion. PCT should be included among the several metabolic causes of peripheral neuropathy which appears to be mainly axonal, asymptomatic and intrinsic.