Use of brain imaging (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) in first-episode psychosis: review and retrospective study.

Objective: To identify and review available evidence on the diagnostic yield of brain computed tomographies (CTs) and magnetic resonance images (MRIs) in first-episode psychosis, and examine yield in our own institution (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec).

Method: Using MEDLINE (1966 to October 2007) and EMBASE (1980 to October 2007), we identified and analyzed studies that examined imaging yields in first-episode psychosis; yield being defined as the percentage of scans showing abnormalities that may result in psychosis. We also retrospectively analyzed diagnostic yields in 46 patients hospitalized in our institution between 2001 and 2006 for first-episode psychosis.

Case report: clozapine given in the context of chemotherapy for lung cancer.

Background: Despite the frequent use of the antipsychotic medication, clozapine, in chronic treatments of psychiatric patients, there is limited clinical evidence available to guide clinicians in the problematic situation of a chemotherapy-induced blood dyscrasia.

Objective: To perform a literature review and add a case report to the available clinical evidence.

Method: We gathered evidence through literature searches on Medline and with the assistance of a medical information specialist from Novartis who searched their internal database.