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Unexpected outcome (positive or negative) including adverse drug reactions
Adverse drug reaction: rosuvastatin as a cause for ischaemic colitis in a 64-year-old woman
  1. Jackie Tan1,
  2. Casper Francois Pretorius1,
  3. Paul Vincent Flanagan1,
  4. Antonio Pais2
  1. 1General Sugery Department, Mackay Base Hospital, Mackay, Australia
  2. 2Radiology Department, Mackay Base Hospital, Mackay, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Jackie Tan, jackie.tan{at}uqconnect.edu.au

Summary

Rosuvastatin (Crestor, AstraZeneca) is a commonly used drug for managing hypercholesterolaemia. It is a very safe medication with mostly acceptable side effects. Rare but serious side effects are not well known. A 64-year-old woman presented with bloody diarrhoea after starting rosuvastatin for hypercholesterolaemia. Stool microscopy and culture ruled out infective causes. Abdominal CT scan revealed normal calibre celiac axis and superior mesenteric artery. Colonoscopic biopsy revealed ischaemic colitis as the final histological diagnosis. The patient is in complete remission after ceasing the medication. Rosuvastatin causing ischaemic colitis should be considered a rare but serious adverse drug reaction.

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr.11.2011.5270

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests None.

    • Patient consent Obtained.