title: Hepatitis C virus infection is not associated with a marked increase in the prevalence of ophthalmic morbidity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Western Eye Hospital, London, UK. martin@mleyland.fsnet.co.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leyland
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Török
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Acheson
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: 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