• O Hinschberger, C Lohmann, B Lannes, L Martzolff, B D Vo, F Jaeger-Bizet, E Ciobanu, and P Kieffer.
• Service de médecine interne-soins continus, centre hospitalier Emile-Muller, 20, rue du Dr-René-Laennec, 68070 Mulhouse, France. Electronic address: hinschbergero@ch-mulhouse.fr.
• Rev Med Interne. 2014 Aug 1;35(8):546-9.

IntroductionStatins or 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (HMGCR) are among the most commonly prescribed treatment in France. They may be responsible for muscular intolerance with variable severity. They have been recently involved in the occurrence of an acquired inflammatory myopathy associated with anti-HMGCR antibodies. This new type of toxic myopathy remains poorly known by clinicians.ObservationWe report a 61-year-old woman treated with a statin for many years who developed a lower and upper limb disabling myopathy with a rapid unfavourable course despite treatment withdrawal. Clinical history and investigations, especially including an assay for anti-HMGCR antibodies led to the diagnosis of autoimmune necrotizing myopathy with anti-HMGCR antibodies. Subsequent initiation of an immunosuppressive treatment by corticosteroids and methotrexate was effective.ConclusionStatins may unmask or cause an autoimmune necrotizing myopathy associated with the presence of anti-HMGCR antibodies. Their identification is now routinely available. An immunosuppressive treatment is necessary and justified by the autoimmune nature of the disease.Copyright © 2013 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

37 keywords...

hide…