Correlation of liver and skin histopathology with serology in a patient with cutaneous vasculitis and hepatitis C infection.
A strong body of evidence supports a viral etiology for many forms of vasculitis. Recent literature supports the association of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. We describe a case of cutaneous vasculitis associated with simultaneous active hepatic inflammation demonstrated by skin and liver biopsies. Immunofluorescence, hepatitis C serology, and study of the cryoprecipitate all confirmed HCV infection and deposition of immune complexes. Treatment with interferon alpha-2b was extremely effective as compared with prednisone and colchicine. This case provides further evidence that active hepatic infection with HCV may be a cause of cryoglobulinemia and cutaneous vasculitis. It also suggests that further studies of antiviral therapy for vasculitis should be explored.
Ornstein
M H
MH
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574.
Phelps
R
R
Kerr
L D
LD
Spiera
H
H
D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D017445:Skin Diseases, Vascular / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology