Leukopenia Associated with Risperidone Treatment.

Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic agent that was originally approved by the United States Food and Drug Adminstration for the treatment of schizophrenia. There are many side effects that are frequently associated with the use of risperidone. These include weight gain, anxiety, extra-pyramidal side effects, and elevated prolactin levels. More infrequently, the use of risperidone has been linked to leukopenia. We will now present the case of a 66-year-old gentleman who developed leukopenia after the initiation of risperidone to control agitation due to delirium. We will review the previous cases of leukopenia associated with risperidone, and will review possible risk factors for the development of leukopenia, based on the reported cases.