Clinical Practice of Hepatitis: Myocardial Diseases, Nephritis, and Vasculitis Associated with Hepatitis Virus.

Key words: cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus Extrahepatic syndromes have been described in patients with either acute or chronic viral hepatitis.In contrast to the extrahepatic syndromesin acute viral hepatitis, which are self-limited, the syndromes associated with chronic viral hepatitis may contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the persistent viral infection.Whenserologic testing for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection became available in the late 1960s, several extrahepatic associations with chronic HBVinfection were described, and, over time, these associations have become well established.Although some reports had suggested that extrahepatic manifestations occurred with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, it was not until serologic testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection became available in the early 1990s that these extrahepatic associations could be documented.To date, only few associations have becomequite well established.This review will discuss extrahepatic associations with hepatitis virus infection.The major focus of the discussion will be on myocardial diseases, glomerulonephritis, and vasculitis.