Porphyria cutanea tarda

Patients should be advised to discontinue exposures that increase susceptibility to developing PCT, including alcohol intake, smoking, and estrogen treatment. European Porphyria Network Opens in new window Compliance with a treatment should be advised. While avoidance of alcohol and smoking should be continued after remission, estrogen can be resumed if clinically indicated. A low-dose estrogen patch is preferred because this results in less liver exposure to the drug than with oral dosing. Follow-up at 6-month intervals to recheck plasma total porphyrin levels is advised to detect any recurrences early.