title: Hypokalemic rhabdomyolysis due to watery diarrhea, hypokalemia, achlorhydria (WDHA) syndrome caused by vipoma.
abstract: Mild hypokalemia is common and encountered in a multitude of diseases, but severe hypokalemia leading to rhabdomyolysis is relatively rare. The watery diarrhea, hypokalemia, achlorhydria (WDHA) syndrome caused by vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-producing tumors, is an extremely rare cause of hypokalemic rhabdomyolysis and the literature is limited to one case report. We report a second case of an adult who presented with rhabdomyolysis due to severe hypokalemia. Further evaluation revealed that he had a VIP-producing pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET), which was the cause of his hypokalemic rhabdomyolysis. Although rare in occurrence, a high index of suspicion is of paramount importance for establishing the correct diagnosis and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH 45428, USA. rekibria@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rizwan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kibria
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Syed A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Barde
mesh_terms: D000126:Achlorhydria / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000209:etiology*; D013577:Syndrome; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003969:Vipoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide