When Should Statins Be Stopped?

Mycobacterium chelonae is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium that can cause skin infections in immunocompetent individuals. We report a case of skin infection by this agent in a woman with dyslipidaemia, that culminated in statin-induced rhabdomyolysis due to the combination of clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin and simvastatin. LEARNING POINTS: Skin infection with Mycobacterium chelonae is an increasing global problem among immunocompetent individuals. Statin-induced rhabdomyolysis is an important and avoidable end-result of drug–drug interaction. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 3A4 and of organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 are two important examples of statin interference with metabolism, and clarithromycin can inhibit both.