Clozapine -- Deciphering the Risks

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Abstract
Clozapine appears to induce two clinically distinct types of neutropenia; these are the basis for the study by Alvir et al., reported in this issue of the Journal1. One is a mild-to-moderate neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count, 500 to 1500 per cubic millimeter) that occurs in 1.5 to 2.0 percent of patients receiving clozapine. This form of neutropenia is probably due to premature destruction in blood or spleen, since abundant myeloid maturation is evident in the marrow. When clozapine is discontinued, recovery is rapid, within three to seven days, and patients remain asymptomatic.The second type of neutropenia is more . . .