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Cutaneous Manifestations of Viral Hepatitis

  • Skin, Soft Tissue, Bone and Joint Infectious Diseases (N Safdar, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

There are several extrahepatic cutaneous manifestations associated with hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infection. Serum sickness and polyarteritis nodosa are predominantly associated with hepatitis B infection, whereas mixed cryoglobulinemia associated vasculitis and porphyria cutanea tarda are more frequently seen in hepatitis C infection. The clinico-pathogenic associations of these skin conditions are not completely defined but appear to involve activation of the host immune system including the complement system. Management of the aforementioned cutaneous manifestations of viral hepatitis is often similar to that done in cases without viral hepatitis, with control of immune activation being a key strategy. In cases associated with hepatitis B and C, control of viral replication with specific antiviral therapy is also important and associated with improvement in most of the associated clinical manifestations.

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Ahmed Akhter and Adnan Said have no conflicts of interest.

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  1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 4223 MFCB, 1685 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Adnan Said

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792, USA

    Ahmed Akhter & Adnan Said

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Skin, Soft Tissue, Bone and Joint Infectious Diseases

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Akhter, A., Said, A. Cutaneous Manifestations of Viral Hepatitis. Curr Infect Dis Rep 17, 7 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-014-0452-7

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