Statin induced myopathy does not show up in MIBI scintigraphy

Statin induced myopathy is the most commonly seen side effect in users of t his family of drugs. Their different forms present with either creatine pho sphokinase (CK) elevation or not, signs of in vivo oxidation injury or not or a combination of both. The pathogenetic background, however, still remai ns obscure. As MIBI, beside myocardial and tumour scintigraphy, is useful i n detecting muscle metabolic abnormalities, an increased uptake of MIBI in the diseased muscular segments could be expected. We in investigated seven patients (five males, two females; aged 36-56 years) with statin induced my opathy with either elevated CK, isoprostanes or muscle pains at varying com binations. MIBI whole-body imaging was done immediately, the patients still being on the respective statin. Sixteen patients (six males, 10 females) s uffering from lung or breast cancer and being on statins served as controls . No uptake abnormalities in any muscular segment either in the patients or the control group were seen. Thus, MIBI scintigraphy is not useful, appare ntly, in diagnosing and eventually localizing statin induced myopathy. Thes e findings indicate that MIBI scintigraphy is of no help for diagnosis and gaining further insight into statin induced myopathy. ((C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins).