Statin desensitization in a patient with probable familial hypercholesterolemia

With cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, cholesterol-lowering medications have become a prominent focus of medical management and cardiovascular risk reduction, including the use of statins making them the most widely prescribed class of medications in the United States and are the cornerstone of management of hyperlipidemia. This case report describes a 29-year-old female with probable familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who had allergic reactions to statin therapy on two separate occasions. She required statin therapy based on her elevated carotid intima media thickness test, historic LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL, elevated Lp(a), and family history significant for premature coronary heart disease. In this report, we document a case of successful oral desensitization to rosuvastatin and propose a replicable statin desensitization protocol.

The patient was admitted for rosuvastatin desensitization following predetermined protocols, utilizing an interdisciplinary team, and monitored for 24 hours following completion of administration prior to discharge. She successfully completed desensitization to rosuvastatin 10mg by mouth daily without anaphylactic reaction. She continued to tolerate rosuvastatin 10mg daily through most recent follow-up, and with this addition, significant improvement in lipid levels was achieved.

This case report presented a patient with probable FH who was previously intolerant to other statin therapies that underwent successful desensitization to rosuvastatin with subsequent achievement of therapy goals.