Porphyria and the vampirism myth

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References used to create this graphic:

Kakoullis, Loukas, Stylianos Louppides, Eleni Papachristodoulou, and George Panos. “Porphyrias and Photosensitivity: Pathophysiology for the Clinician.” Postgrad. Med.(2018). DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2018.1533380.

Maas, R. P. P. W. M., and P. J. G. M. Voets. “The Vampire in Medical Perspective: Myth or Malady?” QJM (2014). DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcu159.

Maranda, Eric Laurent, Robert Heifetz, William A. Estes, Jacqueline Cortizo, Shahjahan Shareef, and Joaquin J. Jimenez. “Porphyria and Vampirism—a Myth, Sensationalized.” JAMA Dermatol. (September 2016). DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.6066.

Sassa, Shigeru. “The Porphyrias.” Photodermatol., Photoimmunol. Photomed. (2002). DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0781.2002.180202.x.

Winkler, Mary G., and Karl E. Anderson. “Vampires, Porphyria, and the Media: Medicalization of a Myth.” Perspect. Biol. Med. (Summer 1990). DOI: 10.1353/pbm.1990.0051.

A collaboration between C&EN and Andy Brunning, author of the popular graphics blog Compound Interest

To see more of Brunning’s work, go to compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.