[Extrahepatic symptoms in the course of GBV-C/HGV infection]. / Manifestations extrahépatiques au cours de l'infection par le GBV-C/HGV.

The GBV-C/HGV virus has clearly established transmission modes, mainly blood contamination, and occasionally sexual transmission. It is frequently found among transfused patients, intravenous drug abusers, and hemodialysis patients and often associated with HCV. Its hepatic pathogenicity is very weak, marked by a moderate and transitory cytolysis. Chronic carriage is possible, but does not lead to chronic hepatitis. Carriage can be maintained before the virus disappears. The authors report the case of a patient presenting with pleuropericarditis after a blood transfusion without any other etiology than infection by GBV-C/HGV virus. The possible extrahepatic pathogenicity of the virus is suggested. This hypothesis was rarely put forward.