[Acute rhabdomyolysis during pneumococcal pneumonia: two cases]

Acute rhabdomyolysis is a clinical and biological syndrome generally with a toxic or traumatic cause. Only 5% of cases are infectious, and rarely in relation to a pneumococcal infection. We report two cases of acute rhabdomyolysis which developed in patients with severe Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia. No other cause could be identified in these two patients aged 32 and 37 years. Rhabdomyolysis was discovered in the first patient because of acute kidney failure and elevated serum transaminase levels. The second patient presented an inflammatory edema affecting the soft tissues. Blood cultures isolated a pneumococcus in both patients. The rhabdomyolysis regressed favorably in both patients despite the transient renal failure in the first patient. Prognosis is generally poor for rhabdomyolysis during the course of pneumococcal pneumonia, with increased morbidity and mortality for these infections. Early detection of bacteriemia enables rapid and adequate treatment and prevention of renal failure.