The hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause both acute and
chronic hepatitis. The acute process rarely causes
hepatic failure, but usually leads to chronic infection.
In contrast, chronic HCV infection clearly linked to
advanced liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC), and has become the leading indication for
liver transplantation. Treatment of chronic HCV is
aimed at slowing disease progression, preventing
complications of cirrhosis, reducing the risk of HCC,
and treating extrahepatic complications of the virus.
The natural history of hepatitis C is quite variable. Up
to 85% of patients with acute HCV eventually
progress to chronic infection. Of them, 15-20% of
patients will develop cirrhosis within 15-20 years.1