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Diseases » Porphyria » Introduction
 

Porphyria

Porphyria: Introduction

Porphyria: Porphyria is a diverse group of diseases in which production of heme is disrupted. Porphyria is derived from the Greek word "porphyra", which means purple. When heme ... more about Porphyria.

Porphyria: A group of disorders characterized by excess production of porphyrin or its precursors which affects the skin and/or nervous system. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Porphyria is available below.

Symptoms of Porphyria

See full list of 42 symptoms of Porphyria

Home Diagnostic Testing

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Porphyria: Complications

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Disease Topics Related To Porphyria

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Medical Textbooks Online about Porphyria

Medical Books Excerpts
  • Porphyrias
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
 

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Porphyria

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Wrongly Diagnosed with Porphyria?

Porphyria: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

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Misdiagnosis and Porphyria

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Porphyria: Research Doctors & Specialists

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Causes of Porphyria

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Treatments for Porphyria

See full list of 13 treatments for Porphyria

Videos for Porphyria

Your Rights as a Patient

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Protecting from Infection

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Responsible Sexual Behavior

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Poor Sleep's Effect on Health

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Patient Surveys for Porphyria

Reseach about Porphyria

Visit our research pages for current research about Porphyria treatments.

Clinical Trials for Porphyria

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Porphyria include:

See full list of 13 Clinical Trials for Porphyria

Porphyria: Broader Related Topics

Types of Porphyria

Stories from Users Related to Porphyria

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Article Excerpts about Porphyria

Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology (Excerpt)

Porphyria is a diverse group of diseases in which production of heme is disrupted. Porphyria is derived from the Greek word "porphyra", which means purple. When heme production is faulty, porphyrins are overproduced and lend a reddish-purple color to urine. (Source: Genes and Disease by the National Center for Biotechnology)

Porphyria: NIDDK (Excerpt)

Porphyria is a disorder in which the body produces too much of the chemical porphyrin. Porphyrin is used to make heme, the part of blood that carries oxygen. Heme also gives blood its color. Any circulating porphyrin the body doesn't use is excreted in urine and stool. When the body produces and excretes too much porphyrin, as happens with porphyria, not enough heme remains to keep a person healthy. (Source: excerpt from Porphyria: NIDDK)

Definitions of Porphyria:

A genetic abnormality of metabolism causing abdominal pains and mental confusion - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Porphyria is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Porphyria, or a subtype of Porphyria, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Porphyria as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet


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