Pleural effusion associated with clozapine treatment.

Authors

Margarita Grneva, Milica Pjevac, Karla Prebil, Tana Debeljak Štupar, Tea Terzić

Published in

BMJ case reports. Volume 19. Issue 8. Aug 13, 2026. Epub Aug 13, 2026.

Abstract

Clozapine is an effective antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia but is associated with a range of adverse effects. We present the case of a patient in her 60s with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who developed dose-dependent eosinophilia and bilateral pleural effusion shortly after clozapine initiation. Extensive diagnostic evaluation excluded infectious, cardiac and thromboembolic causes. Clozapine was discontinued and replaced with an alternative antipsychotic, resulting in complete clinical and radiological resolution of the pleural effusions, along with normalisation of eosinophil counts.This case highlights a rare but clinically relevant probable clozapine-related adverse reaction and underscores the importance of considering somatic causes in patients with schizophrenia, where non-specific somatic symptoms may be misattributed to negative symptoms. Early recognition and prompt intervention are essential as discontinuation of clozapine may lead to full recovery.

PMID:
42595388
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.