Porphyria cutanea tarda

Porphyria cutanea tarda
Other names	PCT
Blister on the hand of a person with porphyria cutanea tarda
Specialty	Endocrinology

Porphyria cutanea tarda is the most common subtype of porphyria.^[1] The disease is named because it is a porphyria that often presents with skin manifestations later in life. The disorder results from low levels of the enzyme responsible for the fifth step in heme production. Heme is a vital molecule for all of the body's organs. It is a component of hemoglobin, the molecule that carries oxygen in the blood.

Hepatoerythropoietic porphyria has been described as a homozygous form of porphyria cutanea tarda,^[2] although it can also be caused if two different mutations occur at the same locus.