Infectious etiologies of rhabdomyolysis: Three case reports and review

Rhabdomyolysis can be precipitated by trauma, ischemia, metabolic defects, electrolyte abnormalities, drugs, and a wide variety of infectious diseases. At our institution, recent cases of rhabdomyolysis induced by influenza prompted us to review the infectious etiologies of this entity. In addition, a thorough literature search revealed numerous case reports but no general review on this subject. This study describes representative recent cases from our institution and details the wide variety of infections that can cause muscle damage. The pathophysiological mechanisms, muscle histology, and correlation with renal dysfunction are also discussed.