Risk of statin-induced rhabdomyolysis in patients with hepatic impairment

Abstract

We describe a case of a 54-year-old man with a 2-month history of biliary colic associated with a common bile duct stone. He underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and developed postoperative acute kidney injury stage 3. A renal biopsy was performed and demonstrated myoglobin in the renal tubules. Retrospective creatine kinase analysis was suggestive of rhabdomyolysis. It is thought this was precipitated by simvastatin accumulation in the context of a period of hepatic impairment and elevated liver enzymes.