Digital ischemic necrosis caused by pegylated interferon in a patient with hepatitis C

摘要

Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin remains the firstline treatment for patients with hepatitis C virus(HCV) . Interferonαhas the most extensive clinical application and is used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis D virus as well as acute and chronic HCV infections.The attachment of polyethylene glycol to interferon increases its half-life by reducing the rate of absorption after injection,reducing renal and cellular clearance and also decreasing immunogenicity.In this case report,we have described a patient with chronic hepatitis C who developed ischemic necrosis of her fingertips after completing her third course of pegylated interferon and ribavirin.The patient underwent a very extensive workup in order to determine the underlying cause of her digital ischemia which was finally determined to be secondary to the use of pegylated interferon.