title: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease occurring during interferon alpha therapy for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Retinal abnormalities, including retinal hemorrhage and "cotton-wool" spots, often occur within the first 8 weeks in the course of interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Here, we describe a case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease occurring 4 months after the start of interferon alpha treatment, probably induced by the immunomodulatory effects of interferon. Therefore, we conclude that chronic hepatitis C patients, especially people with darkly pigmented skin, need to be closely monitored for ophthalmologic complications, by periodic check-up of the optic fundi, for a prolonged period, during interferon treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-15 Yamada-Oka, 565-0871, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraide
authors.forename: Naruya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwahashi
authors.forename: Akihisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imagawa
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohguro
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mita
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D013997:Time Factors; D014607:Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins