Rhabdomyolysis secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) is a systemic auto-immune disorder with a variety of presentations and wide spread organ involvement. We present a case report of a patient with an SLE exacerbation as well as concurrent rhabdomyolysis with massively elevated CPK (304,700 U/L). Though a rarely reported effect of SLE, rhabdomyolysis can be severe and potentially lethal secondary or concurrent to an acute SLE episode. This case report demonstrates the association between SLE and rhabdomyolysis, which is not well described in the current literature.