Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology

Psychopharmacology Amisulpride-induced maculopapular rash: a case report

Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology 2013; 23: Supplement S208-S208
Read: 900 Published: 18 March 2021

Antipsychotic agents have been reported to cause cutaneous side effects in 5% of patients. The most common ones were skin pigmentation changes and photosensitivity. Although rash has been known to caused by antipsychotics infrequently, risperidone and olanzapine have been associated with a rate of rash in %2-5 and %1 of patients respectively. Amisulpride is an atypical antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia. Cutaneous side effects of amisulpride are very rare and there are only few cases which have been reported. We hereby report the following case of amisulpride-induced maculopapular rash in a psychotic patient. A 27- year-old male, with a history of psychotic symptoms for four years, was admitted and hospitalized to our clinic because of somatic and persecutory delusions, olfactory hallucinations and negative symptoms. He was put on haloperidol 20 mg/day and biperidene 10 mg/day IM, thereafter he was given haloperidol 20 mg/day and biperidene 4 mg/day p.o in the eighth day of his admission. Due to the lack of any clinical improvement, haloperidol gradually reduced as 15, 10 and 5 mg/day and stopped, while amisulpride was started as 400 mg/day and gradually increased to 600 and 800 mg/day in twentieth day. Seven days after the initiation of amisulpride, the patient developed maculopapular rash on his arms and shoulders bilaterally with itching. Hydroxyzin was added to treatment in the dose of 50 mg twice daily. Three days later, when the rash increased and spread to his face (his nose and forehead), amisulpride was stopped immediately and the treatment was switched to risperidone 6 mg/day. Three days after the discontinuation of amisulpride, the rash started to decrease and disappeared on the face. Within a week a significant improvement was obtained. There was no previous medical illness and the patient denied the recent use of new soaps, creams or different foods. General physical and neurological examinations were unremarkable except cutaneous lesions. His laboratory tests and cranial MRI findings were normal. With the exception of cutaneous side effects the patient tolerated amisulpride well, no other side effects were observed and he had a good clinical response. Cutaneous side effects are very rarely seen with amisulpride and to our knowledge there are only three cases which have been reported in the literature. Bhatia and Chaudhary (2007) have reported amisulpride induced pityriasiform eruption. Misra et al. (2012) have reported şagellate erythema followed by pigmentation and photosensitivity. Another case with photosensitivity has been also reported. In our case, the maculopapular rash has been probably associated with amisulpride due to the appearance of rash shortly after the initiation of drug and rapid disappearance after discontinuation. The rechallenge could not be given due to ethical grounds. Discontinuation of the drug and switching to an alternative treatment could be beneficial in similar cases. The case is significant to describe a cutaneous side effect of amisulpride and to be the first case report to indicate a maculopapular rash induced by amisulpride.

EISSN 2475-0581