ABSTRACT
Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is a disease caused by a defect in the enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase, which catalyzes the third stage of heme synthesis. Acupuncture could be a complementary mechanism in the treatment of porphyria patients due to its autoregulatory mechanism. The objective is to evaluate the therapeutic response to the treatment of catgut implantation in acupuncture points in a patient with PAI. A clinical case will be presented of a patient whose onset was during puerperium and who presented sensory-motor polyneuropathy, wakefulness depression and hyponatremia, and required admission to intensive care. The immunological diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of uroporphyrins in urine. The time of admission at the time of diagnosis was 30 days. The patient had an average of 2 admissions per year of 7 days in the first 3 years. There was a good response to hematin. As maintenance treatment, she also received a diet rich in carbohydrates, atenolol 50 mg/day, folic acid, vitamin B, clonazepam and chlorpromazine. After initiating treatment with catgut implantation in acupuncture points, the patient had an attack in the first 6 months of treatment, and since then, 5 years ago, she has remained asymptomatic. In addition, the absence of painful and neuropathic symptoms, benefits in the regularization of her menstrual cycles, better tolerance to stress and significant improvement in the quality of life. She is currently performing at her best, both personally, as well as in her family and professional life.