ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the etiological factors, clinical features and prognosis of non- traumatic rhabdomyolysis(RML). Methods The medical records of 13 non-traumatic RML patients hospital- ized between 1995-2006 were reviewed. The etiological, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data were anal- ysed. Results Among 13 patients with non-traumatic RML, multiple factors were responsible for rhabdomyol- ysis in eight patients and single etiologic factor in 5 patients. Different etiological factors were identified, in- cluding 6 with excessive exercise, 3 with hyperpyrexia, 3 with drugs(including illicit drugs, fenofibrate, cy- closporine), 3 complicated with inflammatory myopathy and 2 with limbs compression. Nine patients had myal- gia and muscle weakness, 6 patients had abnormality in nervous system, 4 patients had hyperpyrexia, 3 pa- tients had digestive symptoms. Nine patients were complicated by coagulation disorders and 6 with acute renal failure(ARF). The serum levels of creatine kinase(CK)were decreased to normal within one month in 6 patients, the patient whose rhabdomyolysis was induced by fenofibrate with diabetes and chronic renal failure showed to inadequate decrease within 60 days. Three patients whose problem was induced by inflammatory myopathy, CK levels decreased within 4 months and 6 months in 2 patients, respectively, but CK level was not returned to normal level in one patient during the 80 follow-up days. Three patients died from multiple causes, such as ARF, coagulation disorders,electrolyte and metabolic disturbances. Conclusion Excessive exercise is the most common cause of non-traumatic RML, followed by drugs and inflammatory myopathy. The prognosis is poor in patients with multiple etiological factors and ARF.