Question: What is (are) Porphyria cutanea tarda ?
Answer: Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a form of porphyria that primarily affects the skin. People affected by this condition generally experience "photosensitivity," which causes painful, blistering lesions to develop on sun-exposed areas of the skin (i.e. the hands and face). Skin in these areas may also be particularly fragile with blistering and/or peeling after minor trauma. In some cases, increased hair growth as well as darkening and thickening of the affected skin may occur. Liver abnormalities may develop in some people with the condition and PCT, in general, is associated with an increased risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. In most cases, PCT is a complex or multifactorial condition that is likely associated with the effects of multiple genes in combination with lifestyle and environmental factors. For example, factors such as excess iron, alcohol, estrogens, smoking, chronic hepatitis C, HIV and mutations in the HFE gene (which is associated with the disease hemochromatosis) can all contribute to the development of PCT. Less commonly, PCT can run in families (called familial PCT). Familial PCT is caused by changes (mutations) in the UROD gene and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Treatment may include regular phlebotomies (removing a prescribed amount of blood from a vein), certain medications, and/or removal of factors that may trigger the disease.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Porphyria cutanea tarda ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Porphyria cutanea tarda? The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Porphyria cutanea tarda. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Abnormal blistering of the skin 90% Cutaneous photosensitivity 90% Hemolytic anemia 90% Hypopigmented skin patches 90% Irregular hyperpigmentation 90% Skin rash 90% Thin skin 90% Atypical scarring of skin 7.5% Cerebral palsy 7.5% Cirrhosis 7.5% Edema 7.5% Hepatic steatosis 7.5% Hypertrichosis 7.5% Neoplasm of the liver 7.5% Reduced consciousness/confusion 7.5% Sudden cardiac death 7.5% Alopecia - Autosomal dominant inheritance - Facial hypertrichosis - Fragile skin - Hepatocellular carcinoma - Hyperpigmentation in sun-exposed areas - Onycholysis - Scleroderma - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD