MANIC EPISODES IN 2 PATIENTS TREATED WITH INTERFERON-ALPHA

The authors report the assessment of 2 patients on interferon alpha (I FN-alpha) therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia who developed manic symptoms long after IFN-alpha therapy had been initiated. These cases suggest that chronic IFN-alpha therapy may be associated with vulnera bility for developing overt psychiatric symptoms, particularly in case s where the patient is experiencing psychosocial stress, and that the current definition of persistent adverse effects of IFN-alpha should b e broadened to include the occurrence of manic episodes.