Midventricular dyskinesia during clozapine treatment?

Abstract

This is the case of a young man suffering from schizophrenia and treated with clozapine. He developed acute heart failure associated with pericardial effusion and midventricular dyskinesia with severe systolic dysfunction and left ventricular dilatation at echocardiogram, readily resolved after the suspension of clozapine therapy. The segmental wall motion abnormalities observed at echocardiogram in this case are peculiar and have never been described before. The possible cardiotoxic effects of clozapine have been reported previously in the literature. Because of its serious potential side effects this drug is not considered the first choice for treatment of schizophrenia. Before beginning treatment, patients should undergo a cardiac evaluation, and they should also be periodically followed up with echocardiograms.

• Authors: Giuseppina Novo, Pasquale Assennato, Stefano Augugliaro, Giovanni Fazio, Gianfranco Ciaramitaro, Giuseppe Coppola, Michele Farinella, Antonino Rotolo, Salvatore Novo
• Journal: Journal of cardiovascular medicine (Hagerstown, Md.) (J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown)) Vol. 11 Issue 8 Pg. 619-21 (Aug 2010) ISSN: 1558-2035 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19829127 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Clozapine

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Antipsychotic Agents (adverse effects)
• Clozapine (adverse effects)
• Heart Failure (chemically induced)
• Humans
• Male
• Myocardial Contraction (drug effects)
• Myocarditis (chemically induced, diagnostic imaging, physiopathology)
• Pericardial Effusion (chemically induced)
• Schizophrenia (drug therapy)
• Ultrasonography
• Ventricular Dysfunction (chemically induced, diagnostic imaging, physiopathology)
• Ventricular Function, Left (drug effects)
• Ventricular Function, Right (drug effects)
• Young Adult