Alcoholic myopathy
Miopatia alcoólica
CategoryDefinition
Myopathy secondary to alcohol use and includes acute and chronic alcoholic myopathy. Several forms have been described: acute necrotizing myopathy, acute hypokalaemic myopathy, chronic alcoholic myopathy, asymptomatic alcoholic myopathy, and alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Diagnostic Criteria
Signs & symptoms: Patients with alcoholism can develop an acute or a chronic myopathy. The acute myopathy presents as rhabdomyolysis or myoglobinuria, and is preceded by muscle oedema and pain. It can recur if the patient resumes drinking. Acute myopathy in patients with alcoholism may also be related to hypokalaemia when the serum K+ concentration is below 2.5 mEq. This myopathy is painless, is not accompanied by muscle swelling and is quickly reversible. Proximal muscle weakness in patients with long-term alcoholism is often multifactorial and is not necessarily due to a primary myopathic process; for example, poor nutrition, inactivity or neurogenic disease may by involved.