[Dermatitis associated with the treatment of chronic hepatitis C]

The introduction of ribavirin to interferon-based treatment regimens for chronic hepatitis C has led to an increased incidence of cutaneous adverse events, which concern up to 25% of treated patients. Generalized pruritus, skin xerosis, and a papulo-microvesicular eruption with a predilection for the limb convexities and sites exposed to friction are typical clinical features. Standard treatment with topical corticosteroids and emollients is generally effective, and interruption of combination treatment can usually be avoided. Awareness for hepatitis C-combination-treatment-associated dermatitis as an entity with constant clinical features that is responsive to topical treatment will improve patient management and compliance. An etiologic link to ribavirin-mediated immunomodulation remains to be investigated.