Porphyria

E 80 - Heme disorders and Porphyria

Porphyria has been suggested as an explanation for the origin of vampire and werewolf legends, based upon certain perceived similarities between the condition and the folklore.

There are at least eight types of porphyria, which vary substantially in their symptoms and severity. Historical victims of the worst, most disfiguring forms may have inspired tales of werewolves and vampires.

One of the more common types of the disease is acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), which  King George III of Britain--the "mad king" . In AIP the most notable symptoms are neurological attacks, such as trances, seizures and hallucinations, which often persist over days or even weeks.

Another relatively common form is porphyria cutanea tardea, which presents photosensitivity (an excessive reaction to light), which causes chronic blistering and even burns on sun-exposed areas.

Healing is slow and is associated with scarring and hair growth, especially on the face. Sometimes, however, the hair growth can give the appearance of a werewolf, leading to speculations that the myths may have had a medical basis.

In congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP), one of the rarest forms. At its worst, CEP causes appalling photomutilations from the light-activated porphyrins, including loss of facial features and fingers, scarring of the cornea and blindness.

The condition may have been less rare in the past, especially in isolated pockets where inbreeding could occur such as the valleys of Transylvania--perhaps giving rise to tales of vampires.

Discoloration of teeth can also occur with loss of frontal teeth. There is no traditional "hunger for blood", but anemia can lead to pica syndrome, which is associated with cravings of various inert things and even dirt.