Drug points: Agranulocytosis associated with lamotrigine

Three Cases of Reversible Agranulocytosis after Treatment with Lamotrigine

Several psychotropic drugs, including clozapine, are known to cause agranulocytosis and this may lead to a fatal condition. Lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for the depression of bipolar disorder. A few cases of lamotrigine-induced agranulocytosis have been previously reported on, but the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations are no...

Agranulocytosis associated with nitrofurantoin therapy.

Agranulocytosis associated with sulphasalazine therapy.

A case report of a patient with agranulocytosis associated with sulphasalazine therapy is described. Recovery followed supportive therapy and withdrawal of the drug. Investigations including tests for leucocyte antibodies, the presence of which might have suggested an immunological cause for the drug reaction, were negative; an acetylation study, however, characterized the patient as a 'slow' a...

Antithyroid drug-induced agranulocytosis.

Thyrotoxicosis is a common endocrine disorder. Antithyroid drug therapy is the standard treatment for this disease, especially in young women of reproductive age. A serious side effect of antithyroid drug use, however, is agranulocytosis. We report on two patients with antithyroid drug-induced agranulocytosis. Both patients presented with fever and severe neutropenia. The administration of gran...

A population-based case-cohort study of drug-associated agranulocytosis.

BACKGROUND Agranulocytosis is a life-threatening disorder, often caused by drugs. Incidences or risks of drug-induced agranulocytosis are not well known, since it is rare. METHODS To determine the risk of drug-associated agranulocytosis as a reason for admission to Dutch hospitals, we performed a population-based case-cohort study. Hospital discharge data came from the Dutch Centre for Health...