The Frequency of Cutaneous Manifestations in Hepatitis C: A Cross-sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction Even though the liver is the main targeted organ in hepatitis C, the manifestations of the disease are not limited to hepatic involvement. Other tissue types are often involved as well. Hepatitis C has dermatological and mucocutaneous manifestations. Methods This study was conducted from May 2016 to April 2017 in the gastroenterology unit of Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur, Sindh, Pakistan. All participants with a clinical diagnosis of hepatitis C with cutaneous manifestations were included in the study after securing informed consent. Demographic data and detailed cutaneous examination results with full morphological descriptions were recorded in patient-completed questionnaires. Results Of the 212 participants, 141 (66.6%) were males and 71 (33.4%) were females. The mean age was 32 (±9) years (range: 17-58 years). The most common cutaneous manifestation was pruritus (33.96%), followed by lichen planus (LP) (23.5%). Conclusion Physicians should try to recognize extrahepatic manifestations of a hepatitis C infection as it may help in early diagnosis efforts. While managing hepatitis C, we recommend a multidisciplinary approach to tackle cutaneous and other extrahepatic manifestations.