Cutaneous Reactions in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Treated with Peginterferon and Ribavirin

In a 6-year prospective study of 271 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with peginterferon and ribavirin, 36 (13.3%) experienced cutaneous reactions, which were generally mild to moderate. These included localized reactions in 7 (2.6%) patients, generalized reactions such as pruritus, skin xerosis, and eczematous changes in 28 (10.3%) patients, and alopecia in 11 (4.1%) patients. The study found that these reactions were more common in older patients and those with longer treatment durations, but there was no significant correlation with gender, genotype, fibrosis stage, or sustained viral response, although males were more prone to alopecia. The prevalence of cutaneous reactions was low enough that it did not require stopping the treatment, and the paper highlights the importance of monitoring and managing these reactions, especially considering the genetic susceptibility to conditions like alopecia areata. No financial disclosures or conflicts of interest were reported in the document.