Case Report
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 7, 2005; 11(13): 2039-2040
Published online Apr 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i13.2039
Hypokalemic myopathy in a patient with gluten-sensitive enteropathy and dermatitis herpetiformis Duhring: A case report
Zsolt Barta, Zsofia Miltenyi, Laszlo Toth, Arpad Illes
Zsolt Barta, Zsofia Miltenyi, Laszlo Toth, Arpad Illes, 3rd Department of Medicine, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
Zsofia Miltenyi, Department of Pathology, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Zsolt Barta, MD., 3rd Department of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Moricz Zs. krt. 22., 4004 Debrecen, Hungary. barta@iiibel.dote.hu
Telephone: +36-52-453-337 Fax: +36-52-414-969
Received: August 29, 2004
Revised: August 30, 2004
Accepted: November 29, 2004
Published online: April 7, 2005
Abstract

The case of a 22-year-old patient with symptomatic hypokalemia caused by rhabdomyolysis is presented as a rarely reported complication of gluten-sensitive enteropathy (GSE) and dermatitis herpetiformis Duhring. The patient’s myopathy ceased on potassium supplementation and her other complaints resolved while on gluten-free diet. Recovery was otherwise uneventful with a rapid decline in serum CPK level. At the time of her last follow-up a few months later, she was free of symptoms and CPK remained stable. Patients with GSE may present with hypokalemia in association with diarrhea and emesis, and if potassium loss is rapid, rhabdomyolysis may occur.

Keywords: Gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Hypokalemia, RhabdomyolysisAbstract