Hepatitis C virus infection is not associated with a marked increase in the prevalence of ophthalmic morbidity.
BACKGROUND
Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus has been reported to cause a wide variety of ophthalmic lesions. The incidence and significance of these lesions in an unselected population has not been assessed.


METHODS
We studied a group of unselected patients with chronic hepatitis C and performed a full ophthalmic examination on each. As a control group we studied patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.


RESULTS
In 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C we found no increase in the prevalence of significant ocular disease when compared with a cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis B.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic heptatitis C does not cause any marked increase in the incidence of ocular disease.
Leyland
M
M
Western Eye Hospital, London, UK. martin@mleyland.fsnet.co.uk
Török
M E
ME
Acheson
J
J
Foster
G R
GR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology