Pityriasis Rosea Associated with Pegylated Interferon Alfa and Ribavirin Treatment in a Patient with Chronic Hepatitis C

Pityriasis rosea, chronic hepatitis C, ribavirin, pegylated interferon alfa-2b

Rahmet Güner ¹, Şiran Keske ², İmran Hasanoğlu ³, Mehmet Taşyaran ¹

¹Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
²Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Polatlı Duatepe State Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
³Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Atatürk Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

DOI : 10.5152/balkanmedj.2012.109

Pages : 253-254

Abstract

Background: Pityriasis rosea is an acute inflamatory skin disease that the etiology is unknown but some viral agents like human herpes virus-6 and 7 and drugs are suspected.

Case report: A-58-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C was being followed up in our hospital. Pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2b (100 µg per week) and ribavirin (1000 mg/day) was started. In the third month of this treatment, the patient was diagnosed with pityriasis rosea (PR), which was confirmed by skin biopsy. PEG-IFN alfa-2b treatment for chronic hepatitis C was maintained and no therapy was given for PR. The lesions spontaneously improved within 5 weeks.

Conclusion: Interferon and ribavirin have several cutaneous side effects. Our case is the first case of PR, emerged in a patient with chronic hepatitis C while receiving PEG-IFN alfa 2b and ribavirin.