Systematic Review: Agranulocytosis Induced by Nonchemotherapy Drugs

1 May 2007 | Volume 146 Issue 9 | Pages 657-665

Background: Nonchemotherapy drug–induced agranulocytosis is a rare adverse reaction that is characterized by a decrease in peripheral neutrophil count to less than 0.5 x 10⁹ cells/L due to immunologic or cytotoxic mechanisms.

Purpose: To systematically review case reports of drugs that are definitely or probably related to agranulocytosis.

Data Sources: English-language and German-language reports in MEDLINE (1966 to 2006) or EMBASE (1989 to 2006) and in bibliographies of retrieved articles.

Study Selection: Published case reports of patients with nonchemotherapy drug–induced agranulocytosis.

Data Extraction: One reviewer abstracted details about cases and assessed causality between drug intake and agranulocytosis by using World Health Organization assessment criteria.

Data Synthesis: Causality assessments of 980 reported cases of agranulocytosis were definite in 56 (6%), probable in 436 (44%), possible in 481 (49%), and unlikely in 7 (1%). A total of 125 drugs were definitely or probably related to agranulocytosis. Drugs for which more than 10 reports were available (carbimazole, clozapine, dapsone, dipyrone, methimazole, penicillin G, procainamide, propylthiouracil, rituximab, sulfasalazine, and ticlopidine) accounted for more than 50% of definite or probable reports. Proportions of fatal cases decreased between 1966 and 2006. More patients with a neutrophil count nadir less than 0.1 x 10⁹ cells/L had fatal complications than did those with a neutrophil count nadir of 0.1 x 10⁹ cells/L or greater (10% vs. 3%; P < 0.001). Patients treated with hematopoietic growth factors had a shorter median duration of neutropenia (8 days vs. 9 days; P = 0.015) and, among asymptomatic patients at diagnosis, had a lower proportion of infectious or fatal complications (14% vs. 29%; P = 0.030) than patients without such treatment.

Limitations: Case reports cannot provide rates of drug-induced complications, sometimes incompletely assess or describe important details, and sometimes emphasize atypical features and outcomes.

Conclusions: Many drugs can cause nonchemotherapy drug–induced agranulocytosis. Case fatality may be decreasing over time with the availability of better treatment.

Editors' Notes Context Drug-induced agranulocytosis is a rare but potentially serious adverse event. Contribution This systematic review of case reports involving 980 patients with possible nonchemotherapy drug–induced agranulocytosis found 125 drugs that definitely or probably caused agranulocytosis. More than half of the definite or probable cases involved the following drugs: carbimazole, clozapine, dapsone, dipyrone, methimazole, penicillin G, procainamide, propylthiouracil, rituximab, sulfasalazine, and ticlopidine. More patients with a neutrophil count nadir less than 0.1 x 109 cells/L had fatal complications than did those with a nadir of 0.1 x 109 cells/L or greater (10% vs. 3%). Caution Case reports do not describe the frequency of drug-induced complications and sometimes emphasize atypical features and outcomes. —The Editors

 

Author and Article Information

From Charité—Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, and Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Bremen, Germany.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.

Request for Single Reprints: Frank Andersohn, MD, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité—Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; e-mail, frank.andersohn{at}charite.de.

Current Author Addresses: Drs. Andersohn and Konzen: Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité—Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.

Dr. Garbe: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Linzer Strasse 10, 28539 Bremen, Germany.

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