title: Pleural effusion associated with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Lung toxicity related to interferon (IFN) alpha typically takes a form of interstitial pneumonitis, granulomatous inflammation, or organizing pneumonia. We report a case of a 52-year-old woman, who developed pneumonitis with exudative, lymphocytic-predominant pleural effusion following treatment with pegylated IFN alpha and ribavirin for hepatitis C. Her symptoms and lung findings resolved over 3 months of observation without corticosteroid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois 60201, USA.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Tomasz J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kuzniar
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a