Ornstein M H, Phelps R, Kerr L D, Spiera H
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574.
South Med J. 1994 Nov;87(11):1174-7. doi: 10.1097/00007611-199411000-00027.
A strong body of evidence supports a viral etiology for many forms of vasculitis. Recent literature supports the association of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. We describe a case of cutaneous vasculitis associated with simultaneous active hepatic inflammation demonstrated by skin and liver biopsies. Immunofluorescence, hepatitis C serology, and study of the cryoprecipitate all confirmed HCV infection and deposition of immune complexes. Treatment with interferon alpha-2b was extremely effective as compared with prednisone and colchicine. This case provides further evidence that active hepatic infection with HCV may be a cause of cryoglobulinemia and cutaneous vasculitis. It also suggests that further studies of antiviral therapy for vasculitis should be explored.
