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.
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574.
M H
MH
Ornstein
R
R
Phelps
L D
LD
Kerr
H
H
Spiera
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