Abstract
Clinical observation of colored and noncolored cutaneous striae (“stretch marks”) in neurolep-tic-treated schizophrenic patients raised the question of whether the striae constitute a previously unreported neuroleptic side effect. One hundred eighty-one neuroleptic-treated patients at five sites were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Striae were observed in 44%. This rate does not appear substantially elevated compared with prevalence rates in other, diverse patient samples. Neuroleptic treatment does not appear to have a direct effect on striae. Other patient characteristics were related to the presence of striae, with striae appearing more often in patients who were younger, female, overweight prior to neuroleptic treatment, and who gained weight during neuroleptic treatment. Striae do not appear to be a specific side effect of neuroleptic medication, yet they may be evidence of a link between neuroleptic-induced endocrine changes and weight gain, which may indirectly lead to striae formation. That potential link may merit further study.