ABSTRACT The article presents literature data concerning the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic and clinical criteria, as well as treatments for cutaneous porphyria. Porphyria (Greek, πορφύριος — scarlet, purple) is a group of diseases based on inherited or acquired impairment of the enzymatic pathway for the formation of porphyrins, their precursors, and heme in the liver and bone marrow. The pathogenesis of porphyria lies in the fact that the non-protein part of hemoglobin, heme, is not synthesized, and intermediates of its synthesis, porphyrinogens, are accumulate in plasma and tissues of the body. A rare case of late cutaneous porphyria as an extrahepatic manifestation of chronic hepatitis C in a patient who has a history of syphilitic infection is described.