The importance of considering rhabdomyolysis as the underlying cause of myalgia in patients with COVID-19: A case report

Since the identification and spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) in December 2019, respiratory presentations have been introduced as themain symptoms of this new type of viral disease; however, the extra-pulmonary featuresare raising awareness for researchers due to the vast diversity of vital organs affectedby the virus. Among the wide range of clinical manifestations, limited data are availableregarding rhabdomyolysis (RML) in COVID-19.

In this report, we present a 58-year-old woman with COVID-19presenting with RML, with extremely elevated creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) and lactatedehydrogenase (LDH) levels (3283 and 1280 U/L, respectively) as the second sign ofdisease. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, several COVID-19 induced RML caseshave been reported, and timely diagnosis and proper management are of paramountimportance.

Due to the findings that rhabdomyolysis can be a critical and missed cause ofmyalgia in COVID-19 patients, the importance of checking the serum level of CPK in patientswith myalgia and fatigue in the era of COVID-19 upon their arrival will be highlighted.