Rhabdomyolysis during Postoperative Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer—A Case Report—

Abstract

Rhabdomyolysis is the efflux of muscle body components into the blood due to melting and necrosis of skeletal muscle. Renal tubular damage caused by the large amount of myoglobin released may cause acute renal failure and death. A 50-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with precordial pain on day 3 and dyspnea on day 6 after initial postoperative chemotherapy for right breast cancer. The patient was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis due to abnormal serum creatine kinase levels and edematous changes in the external oblique and rectus abdominis muscles on computed tomography. After admission, fluid therapy was started, but hyponatremia developed during the course, so treatment was continued with electrolyte correction and fluid volume adjustment, and the patient was discharged without renal dysfunction 27 days after admission. The rhabdomyolysis in the present case was considered to have occurred in association with postoperative chemotherapy or supportive care and is reported along with a review of the literature.