Porphyria cutanea tarda associated with elevated serum ferritin, iron overload, and a bone morphogenetic protein 6 genetic variant

A man aged 51 years was referred to dermatology for hand dermatitis. The dorsal hands and fingers had superficial erosions with pale pink shallow scars and milia suggestive of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). Urine and fecal studies were typical of PCT. The patient had daily alcohol use and was found to have elevated serum ferritin, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine transaminase. Genetic testing for common hemochromatosis genetic variants (HFE C282Y and H63D) was normal. He underwent next-generation sequencing analysis using the 16-gene hyperferritinemia gene panel for genes known to be associated with hereditary hyperferritinemia, iron overload, or both and was discovered to have a genetic variant in bone morphogenetic 6 (BMP6, c.287T> C, p.Leu96Pro). The skin lesions improved with phlebotomy therapy.