Case 3
A 55-year-old man presented to our dermatology clinic because of
blisters on the scalp, face and hand for 6 months. His medical history
and family history were both unremarkable. The patient had consumed
200-300 ml of wine every day for 15 years . Physical examination
revealed grey-yellowish skin, several bean-sized blood blisters,
superficial ulcers and atrophic scars on the scalp ,face, and dorsal of
his hands (Figure 3). Conjunctival icterus was noted. Liver function
test showed elevated liver enzyme levels: ALT 378 U/L, AST 542 U/L, GGT
254 U/L. Urine porphyrin was positively tested by Wood’s lamp.
Therefore, he was diagnosed with PCT and commenced on oral glycyrrhizin
and HCQ (200 mg per week). He was also advised to stop alcohol
consumption. He did not completely abstain from alcohol, but the daily
drinking volume was greatly reduced to one-third of the original amount.
His lesion was gradually resolved without relapse during a one-year
follow-up.