[Acute hepatitis C: a retrospective study of 62 cases].

OBJECTIVES

Retrospective study of acute hepatitis C cases observed in general hospitals.

METHODS

Questionnaire sent by mail to members of the Association Nationale des Gastroentérologues des Hôpitaux Généraux (ANGH) in December, 1997. Data were updated in September, 2001.

RESULTS

Sixty-two cases were reported in 40 centers. Patients were predominantly female (58%), the median age was 33 years-old. Symptoms revealed the disease in 65% of cases (jaundice in 53%) and screening in 30%. The main suspected routes of infection were intravenous drug use (32%), nosocomial exposure (29%) and professional accidents (11%). Sustained viral clearance occurred in 12 out of the 28 patients who were followed without treatment for 6 months, in 14 of 30 treated early, and 4 out of 7 treated secondarily with interferon alpha alone. No prognostic factor was identified, except for a low total dose of interferon in treated patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute hepatitis C is a rare disease, occurring in younger and more often in female patients than chronic hepatitis C. Spontaneous cure is not infrequent, and could justify a period of simple follow-up before starting treatment. A national observatory would help for epidemiologic surveillance and therapeutic studies.