Korean J Med.  2015 Mar;88(3):288-293. 10.3904/kjm.2015.88.3.288.

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

• Park GW
• Park HY
• Bang EK
• Jo JH
• Jeong MW
• Oh SH

• KMID: 2082588
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjm.2015.88.3.288

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.

Keyword

Hepatitis C, Chronic; Peginterferon alfa-2a; Ribavirin; Hearing loss, Sudden

MeSH Terms

Audiometry, Pure-Tone
Female
Hearing
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
Hearing Loss, Sudden*
Hepacivirus
Hepatitis C, Chronic*
Humans
Middle Aged
Retreatment
Ribavirin*
RNA
RNA
Ribavirin