C型慢性肝炎患者の眼科疾患罹患率

Incidence of eye lesions in patients with chronic hepatitis C

　C型慢性肝炎患者の，乾性角結膜炎，球結膜下出血，上強膜炎，原因不明の網膜症，網膜中心静脈（分枝）閉塞症，および裂孔原性網膜剥離の罹患率について検討した。有意に高率であった疾患は，原因不明の網膜症つまりC型肝炎ウイルス関連網膜症（p＜0.001）と上強膜炎（p＜0.01）であった。C型慢性肝炎患者に発症した上強膜炎は，臨床的には他原因の上強膜炎とは鑑別不可能であった。C型肝炎ウイルスは網膜症のみならず，上強膜炎発症にも何らかの関与をしていることが推測された。

We reviewed 115 patients with chronic hepatitis C regarding eye complications. The series comprised 60 males and 55 females. The ages averaged 58 ± 13 years. Another group of 132 normal persons with similar background served as control. There was a significantly high incidence of idiopathic retino-pathy (p＜0.001) and episcleritis (p＜0.01) in the hepatitis group against controls. Clinical features of episcleritis in the hepatitis group were indistinguishable from those due to other causes. Both groups showed a similar incidence of dry eye, subconjunctival hemorrhage, central or branch retinal vein occlusion, and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. It appeared that hepatitis C virus was involved in the pathogenesis of retinopathy and episcleritis.