Severe rhabdomyolysis following a viral illness: a case report and review of the literature.

Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome often associated with alcohol and drug abuse. It may also be seen following viral infections, but is a complication not often considered. We report a case of severe rhabdomyolysis following an influenza-like illness. Despite the extreme elevation of creatinine phosphokinase, 230,600 IU/L, this patient did not develop acute renal failure in contrast to most of the previously documented case reports of rhabdomyolysis associated with influenza virus. This case report illustrates the difficulty in predicting which patients are at risk for developing acute renal failure and emphasizes the need for aggressive treatment of any patient suspected of having rhabdomyolysis.