Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 108, Issue 9 , Pages 746-750, September 2009

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

  • Ming-Chao Tsai

      Affiliations

    • Divisions of Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Meng-Chih Lin

      Affiliations

    • Divisions of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chao-Hung Hung

      Affiliations

    • Divisions of Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Chao-Hung Hung, Division of Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 123 Ta Pei Road, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan

Received 26 September 2007; received in revised form 11 February 2008; accepted 4 March 2008.

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.

Key Words:  chronic hepatitis C , peginterferon alfa-2a , pulmonary tuberculosis , sustained virological response

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PII: S0929-6646(09)60400-9

doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(09)60400-9

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 108, Issue 9 , Pages 746-750, September 2009

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