The Korean Journal of Hepatology  2009;15(3):370-374

doi:10.3350/kjhep.2009.15.3.370

A case of sudden-onset hearing loss in a patient treated with peginterferon alpha-2b and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C.

Min Ki SHIN 1 ; Tae Hyo KIM ; Kang JU ; Chang Yoon HA ; Hyun Ju MIN ; Woon Tae JUNG ; Ok Jae LEE

Affiliations

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Keywords

Chronic hepatitis C; Peginterferon alfa-2b; Hearing loss, Sudden; Adverse effects

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Combination therapy of pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin has been associated with various adverse effects, but sudden-onset hearing loss is uncommon. We report a 60-year-old male patient who developed sudden-onset hearing loss during combination therapy with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. This patient had been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C (genotype Ib) and early-stage liver cirrhosis 3 years previously, and had been treated with conventional interferon-alpha and ribavirin for 12 months. However, 6 months from the end of the treatment course the patient relapsed and received combination retreatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin. He developed sudden-onset right-side hearing loss and tinnitus 42 weeks after the start of this retreatment. Pure-tone audiometry revealed a right-side hearing loss of 60~90dB. The patient consequently immediately discontinued the pegylated interferon therapy and was given prednisone 60 mg/day for 10 days, after which the hearing loss had almost completely recovered.