Treatment of bipolar I disorder in an adolescent with olanzapine

Bipolar I disorder is estimated to affect 0.6% of adolescents. Lithium, sodium valproate, carbamazapine, and adjunctive treatment with benzodiazapines and antipsychotics have been used to treat bipolar I disorders. We report a case of a 17-year-old adolescent male with bipolar I disorder who responded favorably to the treatment with the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine. We hypothesize that olanzapine's broad affinity for both dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors may be related to the beneficial therapeutic outcome.