Guest guest Posted December 5, 2001 Report Share Posted December 5, 2001 A Case of Atorvastatin Combined Toxic Myopathy and Inflammatory Myositis Darcy Folzenlogen Assistant Professor of Medicine University of Missouri Health Care Department of Internal Medicine Division of Rheumatology Columbia, Missouri JCR: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL RHEUMATOLOGY 2001;7:340-345 Muscle toxicity is one adverse reaction reported with the use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins). This toxicity may include asymptomatic elevations of muscle enzymes, weakness, myalgia, and myositis. High doses of statins, or the combination of statins with other anticholesterol medications, increase the risk of toxicity. In addition, case reports of systemic and autoimmune reactions such as lupus, nephritis, vasculitis, and myositis, suspected to be associated with statins, have been reported. Our 76-year-old patient demonstrates a case of serologically and biopsy-proven inflammatory polymyositis, combined with a statin toxic myopathy. His symptoms and enzyme abnormalities resolved with both the removal of the statin medication and the institution of immunosuppressive therapy. Investigation of muscle enzyme elevation and weakness that do not resolve with statin removal is warranted. Certain muscle biopsy findings, including mononuclear cell infiltrate, distinguish the etiology asinflammatory/possibly autoimmune and do not suggest statin myopathy. Key words: HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors; Myopathy; Myositis; Statins ~ Vicki ~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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