[Association of chronic hepatitis C and lichen planus--in two patients]

Relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and lichen planus (LP) is well known but controversial in the literature.

Two patients with lichen planus and chronic hepatitis C are presented. One of them suffered with disseminated LP and the other had cutaneous and oral erosive symptoms.

The chronic hepatitis of the patients was proved by elevated ALT and AST level, anti HCV (ELISA) and HCV-PCR serological examinations and liver biopsy. The diagnosis of lichen planus established on he typical clinical symptoms and the histological examination.

HCV RNA in the skin specimen from the biopsy of the skin lesion was detected by RT-PCR method, but the non affected skin specimen from the first patient was HCV RNA negative. Treatment of the chronic hepatitis C with specific therapy (interferon-alpha + ribavirin) in the second patient led to the regression of lichen planus symptoms.

The authors supposed that the lichen planus is one of the extrahepatic manifestations of HCV infection and there is a real correlation between the two diseases in these cases.