Sudden Deafness in a Patient with Chronic Hepatitis C Treated with Peginterferon and Ribavirin Combination Therapy / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Combined peginterferon and ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C is associated with several adverse side effects, but sudden deafness is uncommon. Here we report the case of a 62-year-old female with chronic hepatitis C (genotype 1b) who developed sudden deafness after completing 12 months of treatment with peginterferon alpha2a (180 microg/week) and ribavirin (1,000 mg/day). Pure-tone audiometry revealed a right-sided sensorineural hearing loss, which did not respond to 2 weeks of systemic corticosteroid therapy. Six months after the end of treatment for chronic hepatitis C, her qualitatively determined hepatitis C virus RNA level was 121,000 IU/mL. Following therapeutic failure, the patient was observed without retreatment for chronic hepatitis C or her hearing loss for a period of 12 months, during which time her hearing recovered almost completely.