Hypokalemic Myopathy Associated with Radiation Enteropathy

Abstract

A case of a 68-year-old female patient with hypokalemic myopathy is presented. Her persistent diarrhea due to radiation enteropathy with a total dose of 8,400 rad for the treatment of cervical cancer caused potassium loss in the stool. It finally induced generalized muscle weakness with hypokalemia as low as 1.6 mEq/1 with elevated CK 3,845 IU/1. The muscle biopsy of the left vastus lateralis demonstrated typical findings of hypokalemic myopathy. Radiation to the pelvic space can cause damage of the terminal ileum. Hypokalemic myopathy associated with radiation enteropathy is very rare in the literature.