[Hypokalemic rhabdomyolysis and thiazide diuretics. 3 clinical cases]

Rhabdomyolysis is an acute skeletal muscle disorder characterized by altered integrity of the cell membranes of muscle fiber cells and can be caused by a variety of factors whose nature is not necessarily traumatic. Hypokalemia is one of the most common metabolic causes, accounting for about 14-28% of rhabdomyolytic syndromes. We report and discuss three cases of hypokalemia caused by diuretic treatment with hydrochlorothiazide: the main clinical features were muscle symptoms following massive rhabdomyolysis.