Hypokalemic vacuolar myopathy of chronic alcoholism. A histological and histochemical study

Abstract

Recent reports have emphasized the occurrence of a myopathy in chronic alcoholism associated with hypokalemia. This report of hypokalemic myopathy in a chronic alcoholic, emphasizes the primary myopathic nature of the condition and attributes it to a possible non-specific effect of the hypokalemia on skeletal muscle. It is pointed out, that histological and histochemical changes of muscle in this type of myopathy are indistinguishable from other types of hypokalemic myopathies like periodic paralysis. It is conjectured that in alcoholic myopathy, the underlying disorder might be related to a primary disturbance of potassium metabolism, though in most cases, serum potassium is normal. It is likely that studies aimed at studying total body potassium content and turnover in alcoholic myopathy would help in understanding its pathogenesis and possible relationship to disturbed potassium metabolism.