HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Winkler, A S Articles by Elwes, R D C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Winkler, A S Articles by Elwes, R D C

Neuropsychiatric porphyria in patients with refractory epilepsy: report of three cases

¹ Regional Movement Disorders and Autonomic Unit, King’s College Hospital, London, UK
² Department of Clinical Biochemistry, King’s College Hospital, London, UK
³ The Centre for Epilepsy, King’s College Hospital, London, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor T J Peters
Dept of Clinical Biochemistry, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK; timothy.peters{at}kcl.ac.uk

Objectives: Although epileptic seizures are an infrequent feature of acute attacks of the neuropsychiatric porphyrias, there are no significant reports of porphyria in chronic epilepsy. This paper attempts to redress the balance.

Methods: Three case reports, including detailed laboratory and molecular diagnostics.

Results: Two patients with variegate porphyria and one with acute intermittent porphyria, referred within 1 year to a specialist porphyria service, with a long history of chronic refractory epileptic seizures, are described.

Conclusions: Porphyria may be an aetiological factor in some cases of chronic refractory partial or generalised epilepsy. Porphyria should also be considered if addition of a new anti-epileptic medication causes a major deterioration in the epilepsy.

Abbreviations: CT, computed tomography; EEG, electroencephalogram; GABA, -aminobutyric acid; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PPOX, protoporphyrinogen oxidase

Keywords: epilepsy; neuropsychiatric porphyrias; refractory seizures

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Tziperman, B.-Z. Garty, N. Schoenfeld, V. Hoffer, N. Watemberg, D. Lev, Y. Ganor, M. Levite, and T. Lerman-Sagie Acute Intermittent Porphyria, Rasmussen Encephalitis, or Both? J Child Neurol, January 1, 2007; 22(1): 99 - 105. [Abstract] [PDF]