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Sporadic rippling muscle disease unmasked by simvastatin
Author(s) -
Baker Steven K.,
Tarnopolsky Mark A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.20575
Subject(s) - simvastatin , medicine , rippling , discontinuation , statin , myasthenia gravis , disease , immune system , surgery , immunology , computer science , programming language
We report a 53‐year‐old‐man who developed rippling muscle disease (RMD) 2 months after starting simvastatin therapy for hypercholesterolemia. He experienced stiffness, myalgias, and classic rippling, which was confirmed on clinical examination. Discontinuation of the statin improved his symptoms. Simvastatin therapy was resumed and resulted in a prompt and severe return of his symptoms. Approximately 1 year after symptom onset he developed mild seropositive oculobulbar myasthenia gravis, which spontaneously remitted after 5 months. We postulate that an immune‐mediated disruption of caveolar function was exacerbated by statin exposure. We are unaware of any previous cases of statin‐mediated unmasking of RMD. Muscle Nerve, 2006