Successful Antiviral and Antituberculosis Treatment With Pegylated Interferon-alfa and Ribavirin in a Chronic Hepatitis C Patient With Pulmonary Tuberculosis

• Main Authors: Ming-Chao Tsai, Meng-Chih Lin, Chao-Hung Hung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2009-09-01
• Series: Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
• Subjects: chronic hepatitis C; peginterferon alfa-2a; pulmonary tuberculosis; sustained virological response
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929664609604009

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a rare side effect of antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C. We present the case of 55-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis C, who developed pulmonary tuberculosis after receiving 8 weeks of peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin therapy. Antituberculous treatment was started and antiviral agents were given continually at adjusted doses. Her symptoms of cough with blood-tinged sputum improved 1 month after antituberculous therapy. Treatment for hepatitis C and pulmonary tuberculosis were completed after 6 months. At 6 months after antiviral therapy, a sustained virological response was achieved and follow-up chest radiography showed a marked regressive change. This is believed to be the first case report of complete remission from hepatitis C and pulmonary tuberculosis treated concurrently with antiviral and antituberculous agents.