Agranulocytosis (patient information)

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Agranulocytosis
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Agranulocytosis?
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Agranulocytosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Overview

Agranulocytosis means a failure of the bone marrow to make enough white blood cells (neutrophils). Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells.

What are the symptoms of Agranulocytosis?

Persons with this condition are more likely to have fevers and infections.

What causes Agranulocytosis?

Agranulocytosis may be caused by:

• Autoimmune disorders
• Bone marrow diseases such as myelodysplasia or large granular lymphocyte leukemia
• Chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation
• Medications such as rituximab, penicillin, captopril, ranitidine, cimetidine, methimazole, and propylthiouracil
• Preparation for bone marrow transplant

Agranulocytosis results in a person not having enough of a specific type of white blood cells, called neutrophils or granulocytes. A low neutrophil count (neutropenia) may also occur when white blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be produced.

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001295.htm