Abstract

VICENTE-RODRIGUEZ, Juan Carlos de; JUNQUERA-GUTIERREZ, Luis Manuel  and  LOPEZ-ARRANZ, Juan Sebastián. Hepatitis C virus infection and risk of transmission in oral surgery. RCOE [online]. 2003, vol.8, n.3, pp.317-324. ISSN 1138-123X.

Viral hepatitis is the most important cause of liver disease. Approximately 85% of the individuals infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) progress to chronic infection and each year 1-4% of these develop hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, infection with HCV may affect not only the liver but also several nonhepatic tissues and organs showing different manifestations as oral lichen planus, sialadenitis and perhaps oral cancer. The purpose of this article is to review the occupational risk of HCV infection among dentists and oral surgeons. Both of them should know how to incorporate the diagnosis of HCV infection into the plan for the proposed surgery. We also will review the natural history and transmission of the infection with this blood-borne virus.

Keywords : Hepatitis C virus; Oral surgery; Risk of transmission.

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