title: Exacerbation of lichen planus during interferon alfa-2a therapy for chronic active hepatitis C.
abstract: A 66-year-old man was treated for chronic active hepatitis C with 3 MU of recombinant interferon alfa-2a three times weekly. Nine months before interferon therapy, a mild lichen planus had been diagnosed, which exacerbated within 4 weeks of treatment to a generalized erosive lichen planus. After 8 weeks, interferon therapy was stopped because local measures did not improve skin lesions. Otherwise, the patient tolerated interferon therapy well, and the initially 20-fold elevated aminotransferase levels returned to normal. Four weeks after discontinuation of interferon therapy, nearly all mucosal and skin lesions had disappeared. But 8 weeks after the discontinuation, aminotransferase levels again rose to 10 times the normal range. Treating physicians should know that a preexisting lichen planus will potentially exacerbate as a side effect of interferon alfa-2a therapy of a chronic hepatitis. However, because this is the first report on this association, further observations are needed to decide the clinical relevance.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik, St. Markus-Krankehaus, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Protzer
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Ochsendorf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leopolder-Ochsendorf
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Holtermüller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins