RSS Feeds
Entecavir to Treat Hepatitis B–Associated Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis
- Masaru Enomoto, MD;
- Takeshi Nakanishi, MD;
- Masamitsu Ishii, MD;
- Akihiro Tamori, MD; and
- Norifumi Kawada, MD
- From Osaka City University, Abenoku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
Background: Hepatitis C virus infection is associated with mixed cryoglobulinemia (1). The association of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with cryoglobulinemia is less certain, and treatment is nonspecific.
Objective: To describe a patient with HBV-associated cryoglobulinemic vasculitis that resolved with entecavir.
Case Report: A 57-year-old Taiwanese woman was referred to us because of a purpuric rash on her legs (Figure). Skin biopsy specimens showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis in the upper dermis. Her aspartate aminotransferase level was 143 U/L, alanine aminotransferase level was 119 U/L, γ-glutamyltransferase level was 27 U/L, total bilirubin level was 29.1 μmol/L (1.7 mg/dL), albumin level was 3.2 g/dL, creatinine level was 38.13 μmol/L (0.50 mg/dL), leukocyte count was 2.6 × 109 cells/L, hemoglobin concentration was 10.5 g/dL, …
