Main Article Content

Severe depression following á-interferon usage in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia


AI Mamman
AJ Yusuf
S Aminu
TL Sheikh
A Hassan

Abstract



Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), with a median age of 40 years, is one of the commonest haematological malignancies in Nigeria. Cytoreductive agents, which were hitherto the mainstay of treatment, neither induce cytogenetic nor haematologic remission. Alphainterferon (á-IFN), an endogenous glycoprotein with cytotoxic and natural killer cell enhancer effects has been found to induce haematologic and cytogenetic remission in patients with CML, but neuro- psychiatric complications of á -interferon (á-IFN) usage
were not reported in Nigeria.
Objective: To report a case of deliberate self-harm in University Lecturer as a side effect of á-IFN in the treatment of CML Method: Clinical and laboratory follow up of a patient receiving á-IFN in the management of CML from the time of diagnosis of
CML to the point of loss of contact.
Result: Severe depression is a complication that may adversely influence the clinical outcome of á-IFN usage Conclusions/Recommendations: Although interferon related depression is uncommon, it is suggested that pre-therapy interferon
assays and neuro-psychiatric assessment are carried out in prospective users of á-IFN

Keywords: Chronic myeloid leukaemia, interferon-á, depression

African Health Sciences Vol. 9 (1) 2009: pp. 54-56

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1729-0503
print ISSN: 1680-6905