Agranulocytosis (patient information)

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

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.

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

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.

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

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