Dystrophic-Anagen Effluvium Occurring During Pegylated Interferon-α-2a/Ribavirin Therapy

Various types of dermatological manifestations have been reported due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and anti-HCV therapy. Some of them have been described during IFN-based therapies. PEG-IFN-α-2a/RBV combination is used as the international standard of treatment for HCV infection for a long time. The combination therapy yields an adverse-event profile similar to standard interferon (IFN) therapy. Some of these adverse effects are rheumatologic, neuropsychiatric and dermatological manifestations including alopecia.

We reported a 43-year-old woman with dystrophic anagen effluvium (DAE), rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto thyroiditis, which were developed under the combination therapy for chronic HCV infection.

Although some cases of alopecia areata (AA) and telogen effluvium (TE) were reported in literature, no case of DAE associated with PEG-INF-α-2a /RBV combination therapy was reported previously.