Abstract
Hepatitis C, an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is a growing global health concern, with an increasing annual incidence of primary disease and a notable likelihood of developing extrahepatic manifestations, including dermatological conditions. Studies have explored the relationship between hepatitis C infection and dermatologic manifestations, but there has been a limited number of comprehensive review manuscripts. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of studies conducted over a 10-year period, highlighting the relationship between hepatitis C infection and associated skin disorders. For this literature review, four databases, PubMed (NLM), EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science (Core Collection), were searched for peer-reviewed articles written in English, involving human subjects, and published between 2013 and 2023. The search terms used were "(hepatitis C" OR "HCV") AND ("skin" OR "cutaneous" OR "lichen planus" OR "cryoglobulinemia vasculitis" OR "porphyria cutanea tarda" OR "pruritus" OR "spider angiomas")". After removing duplicate articles from the four databases, the remaining articles were assessed for inclusion eligibility. A summary of findings revealed that individuals with hepatitis C exhibit a higher overall incidence of skin infections and experience these infections with increased severity in comparison to individuals without hepatitis C. Patients with hepatitis C face an increased risk of developing conditions such as psoriasis, onychomycosis, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and lichen planus (LP). In addition, hepatitis C has been shown to be variably associated with oral lichen planus (OLP), suggesting the possibility of genotypic variations in HCV. Furthermore, hepatitis C has been identified as an etiological factor for cryoglobulinemia vasculitis, which manifests with skin symptomatology. These manifestations include palpable purpura, petechiae, vesicles, nodules, and livedo reticularis, predominantly affecting the lower extremities. This comprehensive review aims to provide insight into the association between hepatitis C infection and dermatological manifestations and to explore the presence and implications of skin conditions associated with the infection.