Background: Statins are well tolerated but associated with various statin-associated symptoms, including statin-associated rhabdomyolysis. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of rhabdomyolysis in patients treated with various statins and to describe their clinical features and outcomes in our local setting. Patients and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Hamad General Hospital and included all patients who received statins for the period between January 1, 2017, and November 31, 2017. Results: Out of 1000 cases involved in this study, 3 cases (0.3%) met the criteria for rhabdomyolysis. Two of them were males and the third was a female. Two cases received simvastatin and one case received rosuvastatin. All developed muscle pain and were hospitalized, during which all patients were treated with drug withdrawal and hydration. Upon discharge, rosuvastatin was replaced by atorvastatin, while simvastatins were replaced by atorvastatin and rosuvastatin. Conclusion: Rhabdomyolysis is a recognized but rare side effect of statins that should not be a reason to limit the use of life-saving statin therapy.

BACKGROUND: Reports on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated with acute pancreatitis continue to emerge. In this series, we present three cases of acute pancreatitis associated with COVID-19 with no obvious etiology. CASE REPORTS: The first case was a 47-year-old man who presented with severe abdominal periumbilical pain, preceded by fever and dry cough. Based on a positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and elevated serum amylase and lipase >3 times the upper normal limit, the diagnosis of COVID-19 and acute pancreatitis were established. The next case was a 57-year-old man with confirmed COVID-19 who developed severe epigastric pain radiating to the back and was associated with nausea and vomiting. His serum amylase and lipase were elevated >3 times the upper normal limit confirming the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. The third case was a 31-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with a few hours of severe epigastric pain radiating to the back associated with nausea and vomiting. Two days before his presentation, he had a runny nose and fever. A combination of serum amylase and lipase elevation, >3 times the upper normal limits, and a positive COVID-19 PCR test were obtained concurrently, confirming the diagnosis of COVID-19 associated acute pancreatitis. All patients were admitted to the Mesaieed Hospital COVID-19 facility and received treatment for COVID-19 according to our local guidelines, while acute pancreatitis was treated conservatively. All three patients were discharged in good condition. CONCLUSION: This case series suggests a possible correlation between COVID-19 and acute pancreatitis.

We reported a case of cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in a 26-year-old previously healthy male patient who presented to the emergency department with a history of fever, shortness of breath, and hemoptysis. After extensive investigations, including bronchoscopy and autoimmune screening, he was diagnosed with the renal-pulmonary syndrome. The diagnosis of CYP-related PRES was based on the development of a neurological clinical picture supported by magnetic resonance imaging findings. The dose of CYP was decreased to 75 mg/day, and the patient’s symptoms improved after 3 days.

Background: There is a lack of robust epidemiological information on portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in Qatar. This study aimed to describe the risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment outcomes of PVT in patients with and without liver cirrhosis admitted to Hamad General Hospital.