[Porphyria cutanea tarda and blood-sugar-suppressing derivatives of sulfonylurea].

A screening test for urinary porphyrin excretion was performed amound 1433 diabetes patients (552 males and 881 females). In three patients (0.21)% the diagnosis of porphyria cutanea tarda was ascertained. In spite of the increasing usage of sulfonylurea antidiabetic drugs, previously reported as potential porphyria-inducing agents, the authors could not observe an increased number of porphyria cases among the diabetics compared to the proportions in similar groups examined 10-12 years ago. The sulfonylurea Oradian was the likely etiopathogenic factor in only one out of three patients. The above mentioned observations do not speak in favour of independent etiological porphyrinogenic influence of antidiabetic sulfonylurea drugs.