porphyrin_tests
Reviewed
Porphyrin tests measure the level of porphyrins in your blood, urine, or stool. Your body uses porphyrins to make heme, a part of hemoglobin. A small amount is normal, but high levels may indicate a type of porphyria, a group of rare disorders that are usually inherited. These tests help diagnose or monitor all types of porphyria.
Preparation and collection
For a stool test, you may be instructed to not eat meat or take any aspirin-containing medicines for three days prior. No special preparations are needed for blood or urine tests.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Porphyria is rare and hard to diagnose; symptoms overlap with more common diseases.
- High porphyrin levels require confirmatory testing to establish a diagnosis.
- Reference intervals and interpretation should be provided by your healthcare professional.
What to do next
If you have questions about your results or about porphyria, talk to your provider.