Frontiers of Medicine >> 2017, Volume 11, Issue 2 doi: 10.1007/s11684-017-0514-y
Arsenic trioxide induced rhabdomyolysis, a rare but severe side effect, in an APL patient: a case report
Myeloma and Lymphoma Center, Department of Hematology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai 200003, China
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Abstract
Arsenic trioxide (ATO), a component of the traditional Chinese medicine arsenic sublimate, promotes apoptosis and induces leukemic cell differentiation. Combined with all-trans-retinotic acid (ATRA), ATO has become the first-line induction therapy in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The most common side effects of ATO include hepatotoxicity, gastrointestinal symptoms, water-sodium retention, and nervous system damage. In this report, we present a rare side effect, rhabdomyolysis, in a 68-year-old female APL patient who was treated with ATO. After taking 10 mg ATO daily for 6 days, she presented shortness of breath, myodynia, elevated creatine kinase, and acute renal insufficiency. This report describes the first case of ATO-induced rhabdomyolysis.
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