Regression of esophageal varices and splenomegaly in two patients with hepatitis-C-related liver cirrhosis after interferon and ribavirin combination therapy.
- Author:
Soon Jae LEE
1
;
Yoo Kyung CHO
;
Soo Young NA
;
Eun Kwang CHOI
;
Sun Jin BOO
;
Seung Uk JEONG
;
Hyung Joo SONG
;
Heung Up KIM
;
Bong Soo KIM
;
Byung Cheol SONG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Reports
- Keywords: Esophageal varices; Splenomegaly; Regression; Hepatitis C, Liver cirrhosis; Interferon; Ribavirin
- MeSH: Abdomen/diagnostic imaging; Antiviral Agents/*therapeutic use; Drug Therapy, Combination; Endoscopy, Digestive System; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/complications/prevention & control; Female; Hepatitis C/complications/*drug therapy; Humans; Interferon-alpha/*therapeutic use; Liver Cirrhosis/*etiology; Male; Middle Aged; Polyethylene Glycols/*therapeutic use; Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use; Ribavirin/*therapeutic use; Splenomegaly/complications/prevention & control; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography
- From:Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2016;22(3):390-395
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Some recent studies have found regression of liver cirrhosis after antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis, but there have been no reports of complete regression of esophageal varices after interferon/peg-interferon and ribavirin combination therapy. We describe two cases of complete regression of esophageal varices and splenomegaly after interferon-alpha and ribavirin combination therapy in patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis. Esophageal varices and splenomegaly regressed after 3 and 8 years of sustained virologic responses in cases 1 and 2, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that complications of liver cirrhosis, such as esophageal varices and splenomegaly, can regress after antiviral therapy in patients with HCV-related liver cirrhosis.
