Hepatites Virais 2016
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 180 million
[2], but most are unaware of their infection. 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.
