CLINICAL EVOLUTION OF HCV-RELATED CHRONIC HEPATITIS

Evolution of HCV positive chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis has been repo rted to occur in about 30% of patients after five years of follow-up. In contrast, evolution of cirrhosis to decompensation and liver failur e is slow, with a survival rate at 5 and 10 years of 91% and 79%, resp ectively. These findings support the hypothesis that histologic cirrho sis and clinical cirrhosis are different facets of the same disease, t he latter developing after a long period of time and being related not only to liver disease per se, but also to other factors only partiall y identified. During this long-term evolution, extrahepatic manifestat ions may occur due to the formation of antigen-antibody immunocomplexe s, which may eventually lead to death due to renal or cardiac complica tions.