Part of the book: Liver Biopsy
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease worldwide, making it a major public health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a worldwide prevalence of 3%. Each year, three to four million people are newly diagnosed with HCV, and it remains endemic in many countries of the world. According to the WHO, there are at least 21.3 million HCV carriers in Eastern Mediterranean countries, a figure close to the combined number of estimated carriers in the Americas and Europe. The purpose of this chapter is to give an overview and update in treatment of HCV patients by a broad search of published literature on aspect of epidemiology, natural history, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of HCV, graded on the best available evidence. All that to improve HCV patient care, and to promote and improve the multidisciplinary care required in the treatment of these patients.
Part of the book: Recent Advances in Liver Diseases and Surgery