title: Case report of eosinophilia induced by quetiapine.
abstract: An increase in the concentration of eosinophils in blood may lead to endocarditis, myocarditis, and pericarditis. When the absolute eosinophil count increases beyond 1.5 x 10(9)/L, myocardial damage and even death can occur. This case report describes a 47-year-old male with an alcohol-induced psychotic disorder who developed eosinophilia 4 weeks after starting treatment with quetiapine 50-200 mg/d. His maximum recorded absolute eosinophil count was 7.63 x 10(9)/L (normal range < 0.5 x 10(9)/L), but the level returned to normal over a 4-week period after stopping quetiapine and no myocardial damage was observed. This patient's dramatic eosinophilia did not have any associated clinical symptoms; it was only identified as part of a routine blood test a few weeks after starting quetiapine. This is a reminder that all clinicians who treat patients with antipsychotic medications must be vigilant about the occurrence of such rare but life-threatening adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Chongqing Mental Health Center, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Chongqing Mental Health Center, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Chongqing Mental Health Center, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
keywords: China; case report; eosinophilia; quetiapine