PORPHYRIA-CUTANEA-TARDA, C VIRUS-ASSOCIAT ED CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE AND HEPATOMA - CASE-REPORT

We report a non alcoholic, Chinese, 65 years old male that presented i n august, 1992 with painful hepatomegaly of rapid installation and mal aise. Ultrasound examination revealed multiple substitution images, di agnosed histologically as hepatoma. Serum alpha fetoprotein was 6600 U /ml. Malaise increased and the patient died two months later. This pat ient had a porphyria cutanea tarda and a chronic hepatitis diagnosed 6 years before. He also had positive titers for hepatitis C virus antib odies. In patients with porphyria cutanea tarda, hepatoma frequency is 400 fold higher and hepatitis C virus infection is highly prevalent. Thus, the surveillance of these patients with periodic alpha feto prot ein determinations and abdominal ultrasound examinations is recommende d, specially in those infected by hepatitis C virus.