BRIEF REPORT: Hepatitis C Treatment of Patients With Bipolar Disorder: A Case Series

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The presence of comorbid bipolar disorder presentsconsiderable obstacles to clinicians caring for the 4 million Americans infected with the hepatitis C virus(HCV).^1,2 Interferon-α-based therapies (interferon-α) areused in combination with ribavirin to eradicate HCVinfection and result in viral clearance rates of 54% to56%.^1,3 Nonetheless, interferon-α-associated neuropsychiatricadverse effects have complicated the use of HCVtherapies and reduced viral clearance rates. As a result, cliniciansare often reluctant to prescribe interferon-α for patientswith HCV infection and preexisting bipolar disorderdue to the risk of precipitating or exacerbating neuropsychiatricsymptoms.⁴