Transient creatine phosphokinase elevations in children: a single-center experience
Sebastien Perreault1, Ala Birca, Dominique Piper
1Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. sebperreault@hotmail.com
Insights
Pediatric rhabdomyolysis causes vary, including viral myositis, trauma, and surgery. Most childhood rhabdomyolysis cases are benign and do not recur.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Neurology
- Genetics
Background:
- Rhabdomyolysis in children presents diverse etiologies.
- Understanding these causes is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Pediatric rhabdomyolysis differs from adult presentations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causes and progression of rhabdomyolysis in pediatric patients.
- To analyze the spectrum of rhabdomyolysis etiologies in a pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study conducted at a tertiary care pediatric hospital.
- Data collected from 2001 to 2002 for patients in outpatient clinics, emergency departments, or admitted.
- Standardized case report forms used to gather patient chart data.
Main Results:
- 130 pediatric patients with rhabdomyolysis were analyzed.
- Common causes included viral myositis (22.3%), trauma (18.4%), and surgery (18.4%).
- Metabolic myopathy was rare (0.8%), and 13.1% had no definitive diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric rhabdomyolysis has varied causes distinct from adults.
- The condition is typically benign and non-recurrent in children.
- Rhabdomyolysis as an initial symptom of metabolic myopathy is infrequent.
Objectives:
To determine the etiologies and evolution of rhabdomyolysis in children.
Study Design:
We performed a retrospective study of patients with rhabdomyolysis who were seen in our tertiary care university-affiliated pediatric hospital. Patients in outpatient clinics, seen in the emergency department, or admitted from 2001 to 2002 were selected. With a standardized case report form, we collected predetermined data from each patient's chart.
Results:
A total of 130 patients with rhabdomyolysis were included in the study (male, 56%; mean age, 7.5 ± 5.9 years). The median elevation of creatine phosphokinase was 2207 IU/L (range, 1003 to 811 428 IU/L). The most frequent diagnoses were viral myositis (29, 22.3%), trauma (24, 18.4%), surgery (24, 18.4%), hypoxia (12 , 9.2%), and drug reaction (8, 6.2%). Metabolic myopathy was found only in one patient (0.8%). In 17 patients (13.1%), no definite diagnosis could be made.
Conclusions:
Etiologies of rhabdomyolysis in children are varied and differ from those reported in adults. In most patients, rhabdomyolysis is benign and without recurrence. In our series, rhabdomyolysis was the initial symptom of a metabolic myopathy in only one patient.
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