PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Halawani, Mona R.
TI  - Dermatological manifestations of hepatitis C virus infection in Saudi Arabia
DP  - 2014 Jun 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 531--537
VI  - 35
IP  - 6
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/35/6/531.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/35/6/531.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2014 Jun 01; 35
AB  - The Saudi Ministry of Health data indicates that almost 32% of viral hepatitis cases were caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). It has been widely reported that chronic HCV infection is associated with and may trigger or exacerbate many skin manifestations in 20-40% of patients visiting dermatologists. The most commonly encountered dermatological manifestations of HCV infection globally include mixed cryoglobulinemia, porphyria cutanea tarda, cutaneous and/or oral lichen planus, urticaria, pruritus, thrombocytopenic purpura, and psoriasis. The current article indicates that HCV infection is increasing in Saudi Arabia and approximately 12% of the reported dermatological manifestations are caused by HCV infection. We recommend the urgent need for large-scale, case-control studies to understand the impact of HCV infection in patients with skin disease.