Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Introduction: We present an unusual case of rhabdomyolysis secondary to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a healthy 27-year-old female. M. pneumoniae is associated with numerous extrapulmonary manifestations, including acute hepatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and rhabdomyolysis. Most documented cases affect the pediatric population, with only five cases in adults reported in the literature.

Case Report: The patient presented with complaints of myalgia and intractable cough. In this case the initial presentation demonstrated hypoxia requiring supplemental oxygen, and a creatine kinase of 7,646 units per liter (U/L) (reference range 26-192 U/L) with a peak of 29,427. During her hospitalization, she also remained persistently hypoxic for several days but ultimately was successfully weaned off all supplemental oxygen. She was discharged home after a seven-day hospitalization.

Conclusion: This patient’s presentation of an insidious, upper respiratory infection along with the subsequent development of rhabdomyolysis with reactive antibodies to M. pneumoniae demonstrates a link between these two clinically important conditions.