Rhabdomyolysis associated with infection by Mycoplasma pneumoniae: A case report

Background. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is responsible for approximately 20% of t he cases of community- acquired pneumonia. The onset of respiratory symptom s is gradual and systemic complaints such as headache, malaise, arthalgias, and low-grade fever are frequently prominent. Extrapulmonary manifestation s of M pneumoniae are common and hematologic (thrombocytopenia, splenomegal y, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hemolytic anemia), dermatologic (Stevens-Johnson syndrome), gastrointestinal (vomiting, diarrhea, pancreati tis), renal (interstitial nephritis, glomerulonephritis), cardiac (pericard itis, myocarditis, pericardial effusion) and central nervous system (mening itis, transverse myelitis, polyradiculopathy, cerebellar ataxia, sensorineu ral hearing loss) complications can occur.(1-3) Observation. We describe the case of an adolescent girl with massive rhabdo myolysis associated with an infection caused by M pneumoniae. We briefly re view the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with acute rhabdomy olysis and discuss the use of a new polymerase chain reaction-based assay f or direct detection of M pneumoniae in throat swab specimens. Conclusion. Clinicians should be aware of a possible association between rh abdomyolysis and infection with M pneumoniae and should consider testing fo r M pneumoniae when they are presented with a patient with idiopathic rhabd omyolysis. The new polymerase chain reaction-based assay for detection of M pneumoniae is a more accurate and more efficient method than traditional c ulture.