Temporal arteritis (Horton's disease) in a patient with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: Vascularitis is a well-known extrahepatic manifestation of chro nic hepatitis C Mixed cryoglobulinemia is the most common form. To our know ledge, the present case is the first report associating chronic hepatitis C and temporal arteritis, CASE REPORT: A 56-year-old-man with chronic hepatitis Cin the precirrhogeni c phase presented with fever and weight loss, The patient complained of pai n of the scapular and pelvic girdles and headache and physical examination revealed claudication of the jaw and abolition of the upper limb pulses. Bi opsy of the temporal artery confirmed the diagnosis of Horton's disease. Th e patient also had bilateral stenosis of the sub-clavian arteries DISCUSSION: This observation of Horton's disease involving large vessels in a patient with chronic hepatitis C suggests that an infectious factor migh t trigger vascularitis.