Evaluation of Macular and Choroidal Thickness by Optical Coherence Tomography with Direct Acting Antiviral Agents in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Document Type : Original Article

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Abstract

Background: One of the most significant threats to public health is hepatitis C virus infection (HCV). Pegylated interferon alpha (Peg-IFNα) and ribavirin (RBV) had been the main stay of treatment for hepatitis C until recently. This combination often causes systemic and ocular side effects. More effective and safer than IFN therapy is direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs). Objective: The objective of the current study was to assess the impact of sofosbuvir (SOF) and daclatasvir (DAC) on choroidal and macular thickness among HCV cases. Patients and methods: Between June 2018 and February 2019, 30 HCV cases were included and treated using RBV-free SOF/DAC regimen for 12 weeks. They were referred to the ophthalmology department where full ophthalmological assessment was done before and at the end of treatment. Furthermore, macular and choroidal thicknesses were assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Results: 60 eyes of 30 HCV cases (aged from 24-56 years, males: 18 [60%], females: 12 [40%]) received RBV-free SOF/DAC regimen for 12 weeks. During the 3 months of follow-up, no ocular complications were reported. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was not changed. OCT showed increase in macular thickness from baseline. Although there was an increase, it didn’t show statistical significance (p=0.743). The choroidal thickness measurements showed no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: There are no observable ophthalmic sequelae among patients treated with DAAs, and this includes the RBV-free SOF/DAC regimen. There appears to be a decreased need for routine ophthalmic follow-up among patients treated with DAAs in comparison to INF.
 

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The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine
Volume 89, Issue 1
October 2022
Pages 4881-4886

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