Papilledema Due to Mirtazapine.
BACKGROUND
Mirtazapine is a tetracyclic antidepressant that enhances both noradrenergic and serotonergic transmission. The most common cause of papilledema is increased intracranial pressure due to brain tumor. Also it may occur as a result of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH, pseudo tumor cerebri). Moreover, papilledema may also develop due to retinitis, vasculitis, Graves' disease, hypertension, leukemia, lymphoma, diabetes mellitus and radiation.


METHODS
In this article, a patient who developed papilledema while under treatment with mirtazapine (30 mg/day) for two years and recovered with termination of mirtazapine treatment was discussed to draw the attention of clinicians to this side effect of mirtazapine.


CONCLUSIONS
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension and papilledema due to psychotropic drugs has been reported in the literature. Mirtazapine may rarely cause peripheral edema. However, papilledema due to mirtazapine has not been previously reported. Although papilledema is a very rare side effect of an antidepressant treatment, fundoscopic examinations of patients must be performed regularly.
Department of Psychology, Üsküdar University School of Humanities and Social Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey.
Mehmet Emin
ME
Ceylan
Department of Psychology, Üsküdar University School of Humanities and Social Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey.
Alper
A
Evrensel
Department of Psychology, Üsküdar University School of Humanities and Social Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey.
Gökçe
G
Cömert
Antidepressant; mirtazapine; papilledema; side effect