Quetiapine-induced chest wall edema with the swellings of face and extremities in a young hospitalized patient: A case report.

KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE

Quetiapine can lead to the face, extremity and particularly chest wall edema in hospitalized patients in the supine position.

ABSTRACT

Quetiapine (QTP) is known as an atypical antipsychotic agent with some adverse effects, such as edema. However, along this line, peripheral edema is not a life-threatening episode, but it is an important side effect affecting medical compliance. Therefore, QTP-induced chest wall edema with the swellings of the face and the extremities is very rare. This report is about a young man who was admitted in the intensive care unit with multiple trauma (MT). On account of his delirious state, QTP was started at 25 mg and then increased to 75 mg, three times a day. The patient developed swelling of the face, the upper and lower limbs, and the chest wall. After stopping the QTP use, his edema went down. Although there is still speculation about the possible mechanisms of antipsychotic-induced edema, some studies have pointed to the relationship between dopaminergic antagonism and peripheral edema. Therefore, it is very important to pay close attention to this side effect.