Spontaneous Cure of Acute Hepatitis C

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Virology
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant global health concern.
• Acute HCV often presents with non-specific symptoms, making early diagnosis challenging.
• While chronic HCV requires treatment, spontaneous clearance can occur in a subset of patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of acute Hepatitis C virus infection in a 58-year-old woman.
• To describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and management of acute HCV.
• To highlight the spontaneous clearance of HCV infection without antiviral therapy.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a 58-year-old female patient with symptoms suggestive of acute hepatitis.
• Comprehensive laboratory testing including liver function tests, viral serologies, and HCV RNA quantification.
• Abdominal ultrasonography for hepatic and splenic evaluation.
• Symptomatic treatment and close clinical monitoring.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with jaundice, asthenia, anorexia, itching, and choluria, with laboratory findings indicative of cholestatic acute hepatitis.
• Viral markers confirmed acute HCV infection (genotype 3a) with negative results for other hepatitis viruses and common viral pathogens.
• The patient experienced spontaneous clearance of HCV RNA within 3 months and remained virus-negative at 6 months post-infection, without requiring antiviral treatment.

Conclusions:

• Spontaneous clearance of acute Hepatitis C virus infection is possible, even in patients with comorbidities.
• This case underscores the importance of monitoring patients with acute HCV for potential spontaneous resolution.
• Further research into factors predicting spontaneous HCV clearance may inform treatment strategies.