Necrotizing myopathy in a patient with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: a case report and a review of the literature

Intern Med. 2000 Feb;39(2):176-81. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.39.176.

Abstract

We describe a 61-year-old man presenting with necrotizing myopathy associated with chronic active hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thirteen patients with HCV-associated myopathy have been reported previously. In most of these cases, varying degrees of inflammatory changes were observed in the muscle tissue. In 2 patients, myopathy developed after initiation of interferon therapy for chronic HCV hepatitis. Our case was unusual due to long-standing elevation of creatine kinase values which improved following interferon therapy and the non-inflammatory features of the muscle tissue where the HCV RNA minus strand, a marker for replicative intermediates of the virus, was undetectable. The association of myopathy with HCV infection might represent a unique clinical entity, although the underlying pathological mechanisms remain unknown.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Electromyography
  • Hepacivirus / genetics
  • Hepacivirus / immunology
  • Hepatitis C Antibodies / analysis
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / complications*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / diagnosis
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / virology
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiopathology
  • Muscular Diseases / diagnosis
  • Muscular Diseases / etiology*
  • Necrosis
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Hepatitis C Antibodies
  • RNA, Viral