Development of sarcoidosis during interferon alpha 2b and ribavirin combina- tion therapy for chronic hepatitis C- A case report and review of the literature

Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous multisystemic disorder of unknown aetiology. Although interferon gamma has been impli- cated in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis, only a few cases of sar- coidosis associated with interferon alpha therapy have been reported. We report a case with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) who developed sarcoidosis after the treatment by interferon alpha and ribavirin. The combination therapy of interferon alpha and ribavirin was given to a 50-year-old female with CHC who had not responded to a previous treatment by interferon alpha. She has been admitted with non-productive cough, dyspnoea and fever 11 months after the initiation of combination therapy. Chest x-ray and thorax com- puted tomography revealed bilateral hilar masses and nodular infiltrations in the lung parenchyma. Pulmonary function test showed a mild restriction. Biopsy of mediastinal lymphadenopa- thy revealed noncaseating granuloma. She was diagnosed to have pulmonary sarcoidosis at stage II, and the combination treatment was discontinued. Her symptoms regressed after inhaler steroid treatment. Six months after the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, the patient was asymptomatic and a complete sustained response to hepatitis C was achieved. During the three years of follow-up, both pulmonary sarcoidosis and hepatitis C have not recurred. We sug- gest that sarcoidosis may develop in chronic hepatitis C patients during interferon alpha and/or ribavirin treatment, and diagnos- tic tests for this adverse effect should be performed during the fol- low-ups (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2005, 68, 432-434).