title: Dermatological manifestations of hepatitis C virus infection in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: The Saudi Ministry of Health data indicates that almost 32% of viral hepatitis cases were caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). It has been widely reported that chronic HCV infection is associated with and may trigger or exacerbate many skin manifestations in 20-40% of patients visiting dermatologists. The most commonly encountered dermatological manifestations of HCV infection globally include mixed cryoglobulinemia, porphyria cutanea tarda, cutaneous and/or oral lichen planus, urticaria, pruritus, thrombocytopenic purpura, and psoriasis. The current article indicates that HCV infection is increasing in Saudi Arabia and approximately 12% of the reported dermatological manifestations are caused by HCV infection. We recommend the urgent need for large-scale, case-control studies to understand the impact of HCV infection in patients with skin disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital, PO Box 7805, Riyadh 11472, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (11) 4691426. Fax. +966 (11) 4691432. E-mail: monahalawani@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mona R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Halawani
mesh_terms: D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017193:Skin Diseases, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*