Aripiprazole induced non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema: a case report

Aripiprazole is a second-generation antipsychotic drug with partial dopamine agonistic activity. Although the adverse cardiovascular effects of both typical and atypical antipsychotics are well known, similar data on aripiprazole, which was recently introduced, are scarce. Herein we report a 35-year-old female that presented to our emergency department with non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Chest X-ray and thoracic CT showed pulmonary edema and bilateral pleural effusion. Anamnesis showed that she had been taking sertraline 200 mg d-1 for obsessive-compulsive disorder for a long time and that aripiprazole10 mg d-1 was added for augmentation 2 months prior to presentation. We think that the CYP 2D6 inhibitor sertraline might have played a role in increasing the plasma concentration and toxicity of aripiprazole in the presented patient.