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Case Reports
. 2017 Feb 16;5(2):56-60.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v5.i2.56.

Rhabdomyolysis following severe hypokalemia caused by familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis

Young-Lee Jung  1 , Jae-Young Kang  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Rhabdomyolysis following severe hypokalemia caused by familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis

Young-Lee Jung et al. World J Clin Cases. .

Abstract

Rhabdomyolysis continues to appear with increasing frequency and represents a medical emergency requiring rapid appropriate treatment. One of the unusual causes of nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis is hypokalemic periodic paralysis without secondary causes. Primary hypokalemic periodic paralysis is a rare genetic disease characterized by episodic attacks of muscle weakness due to decreases in serum potassium. A 30-year-old woman who had 3 episodic attacks of hypokalemic periodic paralysis was admitted in emergency room with sudden onset symmetrical muscle weakness. After several hours, she started to complain myalgia and severe ache in both calves without any changes. Laboratory test showed markedly elevated creatine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase levels with hypokalemia, rhabdomyolysis resulting from hypokalemia was diagnosed. Here, we report an unusual case of rhabdomyolysis caused by severe hypokalemia, which was suggested a result of familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

Keywords: Familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis; Hypokalemia; Rhabdomyolysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflicts of interests to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Q-T interval elongation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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