Hepatites virais 2015
Introduction
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the main causes of
chronic liver disease worldwide [1]. The long-term impact of
HCV infection is highly variable, ranging from minimal histological changes to extensive fibrosis and cirrhosis with or without
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The number of chronically
infected persons worldwide is estimated to be about 160 million,
but most are unaware of their infection. The implementation of
extended criteria for screening for HCV is a subject of major
debate among different stakeholders. Clinical care for patients
with HCV-related liver disease has advanced considerably during
the last two decades, thanks to an enhanced understanding of the
pathophysiology of the disease, and because of developments in
diagnostic procedures and improvements in therapy and
prevention.
These EASL Recommendations on Treatment of Hepatitis C are
intended to assist physicians and other healthcare providers, as
well as patients and other interested individuals, in the clinical
decision-making process by describing the current optimal management of patients with acute and chronic HCV infections. These
recommendations apply to therapies that have been approved in
the European Union at the time of their publication.
