title: Intraocular complications of IFN-alpha and ribavirin therapy in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C.
abstract: We report a panel of severe inflammatory and vascular intraocular disorders occurring during interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment in eight hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. These events include three cases of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada like (VKH) disease (an association of panuveitis, retinal detachment, ear and meningeal detachment and skin and hair changes), two cases of central retinal vein occlusion, one case of central retinal artery occlusion, one case of severe hypertensive retinopathy and one case of bilateral ischemic optic neuropathy with severe visual impairment. Rare as they are, such severe ophthalmological complications require a close follow-up of HCV-infected patients under IFN-alpha treatment with ophthalmological monitoring if any ocular manifestation occurs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sene
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Touitou
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bodaghi
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saadoun
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perlemuter
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cassoux
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Piette
authors.forename: Phuc-Le
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cacoub
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018917:Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014607:Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin