Hepatitis C: The dermatologic profile

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health problem all over the world with a global prevalence of 3%. It is responsible for 70% of cases of chronic hepatitis, the major cause of cirrhosis and the most common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. The current treatment of chronic hepatitis C is the combination of interferon alpha and ribavirin with the sustained treatment response range of 56-82%. Chronic hepatitis C is associated with a plethora of extrahepatic manifestations including dermatological disorders e.g. mixed cryoglobulinemia, porphyria cutanea tarda, lichen planus, pruritus and other less common conditions. The current review focuses on the dermatologic perspective of HCV infection highlighting the need of screening patients of different dermatoses for HCV in order to prevent the development of terminal, life-threatening consequences and further transmission of HCV.