Hepatitis C natural history

Natural History
Of every 100 people infected with the Hepatitis C virus, about
 * 75–85 people will develop chronic Hepatitis C virus infection; of those,
 * 60–70 people will go on to develop chronic liver disease
 * 5–20 people will go on to develop cirrhosis over a period of 20–30 years
 * 1–5 people will die from cirrhosis or liver cancer

Complications

 * Hepatitis C infection can continue over many years leading to chronic hepatitis
 * Over years, liver may undergo extensive damage and scarring resulting in cirrhosis
 * Liver failure
 * Hepatocellular carcinoma may occur in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.

Prognosis

 * Acute Infection
 * 20% recover
 * 80% have persistent infection
 * 30% of these patients develop cirrhosis
 * Genotype
 * Predicts response to treatment
 * Genotype 1 less responsive than types 2 & 3