Arsenic trioxide induced rhabdomyolysis, a rare but severe side effect, in an APL patient: a case report

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.

Keywords

arsenic trioxide / APL / rhabdomyolysis

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Compliance with ethics guidelines

Haiyan He, Ran An, Jian Hou, and Weijun Fu declare that no conflicts of interest exist. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital. Informed consent was obtained from the patient.

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