Severe muscle weakness during treatment with pegylated interferon alfa for chronic hepatitis C virus infection; A rare complication

Background: interferons (ifns) are common therapeutics for several diseases such as viral hepatitis, multiple sclerosis and malignancy. a variety of autoimmune related side effects have been observed during ifn therapy. rare cases of myopathy, polymyositis or dermatomyositis have been reported during therapy with high doses oflfna. case presentation: in this report, we describe a case with severe muscle weakness but near normal muscles' enzymes during treatment of chronic hepatic c infection with pegylated ifn a 2a in a patient with major beta thalassemia conclusion: this report suggests that severe weakness with normal muscles' enzymes may occur during ifn therapy.