The development of a clinical syndrome of asymptomatic pancreatitis and eosinophilia after treatment with clozapine in schizophrenia: implications for clinical care, recognition and management.

Author(s): Garlipp P, Rosenthal O, Haltenhof H, Machleidt W

Affiliation(s): Department of Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Garlipp.Petra@mh-hannover.de

Publication date & source: 2002-12, J Psychopharmacol., 16(4):399-400.

Publication type: Case Reports

Clozapine, the first atypical antipsychotic, is indicated for the treatment of therapy-resistant schizophrenia. It needs to be monitored closely because of its well-known potential side-effects, especially agranulocytosis. We present a case of a middle-aged woman with chronic schizophrenia, who was treated with clozapine and developed a clinical syndrome of asymptomatic pancreatitis and eosinophilia within the fifth week of treatment. Asymptomatic pancreatitis has rarely been reported up to now and is not recognized as a typical side-effect of clozapine. In our opinion, pancreatic enzymes should be monitored especially in the first 6 weeks of clozapine treatment.