title: Clozapine treatment in an adolescent with bipolar disorder.
abstract: A 15 year-old adolescent boy with a severe treatment refractory bipolar disorder type I, most recent episode manic, severe with psychotic features had previously required hospitalizations and treatment with lithium and/or carbamazepine and high doses of standard neuroleptics without any response. A treatment with a combined clozapine-lithium therapy was progressively started in a hospital setting (clozapine 300 mg/day; lithium 1350 mg/day). After 15 days a dramatic improvement in mood and psychotic symptoms was evident. After four weeks there was 50% improvement on the BPRS (from 74 to 37). The mean CGAS score changed from 25 to 72. At the CGI-Severity of Illness subscale, a 57% decrease was evident; at the CGI-Global Improvement subscale there was a 75% increase. The only significant side effects were sedation and fatigue, but they were not so severe as to induce a reduction of dosage. The boy was discharged from the hospital after three weeks and successfully returned to school with no modifications in treatment. After a nine-month treatment there was no reoccurrence of psychotic or manic symptoms. The implications of pharmacological therapy in treatment refractory manic episodes with psychotic features are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Developmental Neurology, Psychiatry and Educational Psychology, University of Pisa, Scientific Institute Stella Maris, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Milone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D008094:Lithium; D003024:Clozapine