Long-term drug therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection would prove to have persistent effects—both desirable and undesirable. A 29-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 4, was to embark on a treatment regimen of oral ribavirin, 1000 mg, once daily and subcutaneous injections of pegylated interferon alfa-2b, 80 μg, once a week. At her initial physical examination, she had a body mass index of 26 (25-29 indicates overweight). Laboratory results showed that her alanine transaminase level, at 88 IU/mL, was well above the normal reference value (
In the first month, the patient reported anorexia, asthenia, and a weight loss of 8.8 lb (4 kg). Therapy continued, and just before the 48-week treatment period ended, she developed signs of bilateral lipoatrophy at the interferon injection site on her abdomen (Figure).
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— Joana Nunes, MD, Rui Tato Marinho, MD, PhD, José Velosa, MD, PhD
This article originally appeared in the March 2010 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
