A 51-year-old male was seen in August 2005 because of HCV infection. He had been using intravenous (i.v.) drugs until 1985 and his medical history revealed multiple total hip replacements and revisions because of hip necrosis attributed to i.v. drug-related blood-borne infections. Liver function tests were abnormal: alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) 237 IU/L (normal \45 IU/L), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) 235 IU/L (normal \50 IU/L), c-glutamyl transpeptidase 241 IU/L (normal \55 IU/L), and bilirubin 19 lmol/L (normal \10 lmol/L). The patient was infected with genotype 3 HCV virus with high viral load ([5 9 10 5 IU/ml). A liver biopsy was performed and showed moderate necroinflammation with portoportal fibrosis (METAVIR; grade A2, score F2). In view of this advanced stage we offered the patient a 24-week treatment for HCV consisting of peginterferon a-2b (Pegintron Ò ; 150 lg s.c. weekly) in combination with ribavirin (Rebetol Ò ; 400 mg twice daily).