Incidence, etiology and bone marrow characteristics of non‐chemotherapy‐induced agranulocytosis

AbstractObjective: Agranulocytosis is a rare but fatal condition. The majority of cases are associated with drugs. However, in‐patient incidences and the relationship between clinical outcomes and bone marrow characteristics have not been established.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in a university hospital. A total of 38 in‐patients diagnosed with agranulocytosis were analyzed.Results: The average incidence of agranulocytosis in Songklanagarind Hospital between 1993 and 2007 was 0·98 cases per 10 000 admissions per year. Antimicrobial agents were the most common etiology (63% of patients) and antithyroid agents were the second most common (13·6%). Two patterns of bone marrow were noted: type I was characterized by a left‐shifted granulopoiesis and type II was recognized as having hypocellular bone marrow with markedly reduced granulocyte precursors. A significantly higher mortality was associated with type II.Conclusion: Antimicrobial agents are the most common cause and the rare granulocyte p...