[A rare cause of muscle pain and elevated creatine kinase level--the paroxysmal non-hereditary angioedema].

[systemic capillary leak syndrome]

Systemic capillary leak syndrome is a rare idiopathic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of hypotension and hemoconcentration due to sudden transient extravasation of up to 70 % of plasma . Less than 40 cases have appeared in the literature . Mortality rates 5 years after diagnosis have been reported to be up to 75 %. Clinical findings are generalized edema and intravasal fluid deficiency . Laboratory features include hypoalbuminemia and extreme hemoconcentration . A common finding is a monoclonal gammopathy . Rare manifestation of this syndrome is rhabdomyolysis due to increased compartment pressure and ischemic myonecrosis . Early diagnosis and exclusion of other clinical disorders like rheumatic myopathies and myositis are critical concerning prognosis and therapy . We describe a 46 -year -old woman with rhabdomyolysis and systemic capillary leak syndrome whose condition is stable for a total of 30 months under a prophylactic regimen with oral terbutaline plus theophylline . A brief survey of the literature is given .