ISCHEMIC COLITIS DURING INTERFERON-ALPHA TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC ACTIVEHEPATITIS-C

Between 1991 and 1994, at Hoshigaoka Koseinenkin Hospital, we treated 280 patients with chronic hepatitis C with interferon (IFN), and ische mic colitis occurred in two patients (0.7%) during the treatment. Mele na appeared in case 1 in the 2nd month after the initiation of IFN-alp ha treatment, and in case 2 in the 6th month. In both patients, longit udinal ulcerations in the descending colon were revealed by urgent col onoscopy, and these resolved within 2 weeks after discontinuation of t he IFN treatment. It appears that ischemic colitis was associated with the IFN treatment, suggesting that attention should be paid to this p ossible complication.