Porphyria

The term porphyria describes a group of eight disorders that affect the skin and nervous system. Most of these disorders are inherited (passed down from family members). One type of porphyria, porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), isn’t always inherited.

How common is porphyria?

Porphyria is rare. Doctors don’t know the exact number of people living with this condition, because many have no symptoms of the disease. However, it has been estimated that all forms of porphyria combined affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.