Agranulocytosis

AGRANULOCYTOSIS is a syndrome characterized by the complete or almost complete disappearance of granulocytes (granular leukocytes) from the blood. Distinguish myelotoxic and immune agranulocytosis. Myelotoxic agranulocytosis can occur when the formation of granulocytes in the bone marrow, for example, under the influence of ionizing radiation, benzene vapors, cytotoxic agents. Immune agranulocytosis is observed in the destruction of granulocytes in the blood, which is possible in people with increased sensitivity to certain medicines (eg, diacarb, amidopyrine, phenacetin, acetylsalicylic acid, analgin, butadione, phenobarbital, barbitol, methyl thiouracil, sulfonamides, a number of antibiotics, drugs Arsenic, bismuth, gold, mercury). At the heart of the mechanism of this process is the immune conflict. Medicines, when combined with a protein, acquire the properties of antigens, with the formation of immune complexes, or autoantibodies that destroy granulocytes.

Clinically, agranulocytosis is usually manifested by fever, chills and infectious processes, among which are more common stomatitis, necrotizing angina , pneumonia , abscesses and phlegmon of different localization. With myelotoxic agranulocytosis, bleeding (nasal, gastric, intestinal, etc.) is possible due to a decrease in blood platelet count. The diagnosis is made based on the pattern of peripheral blood, in which the decrease in the number of leukocytes (less than 1000 in 1 μl) or the number of granulocytes (less than 750 in 1 μl) is determined. If suspected of agranulocytosis, the patient should be rushed to the doctor immediately. Patients with agranulocytosis are hospitalized. Timely and correct treatment, which mainly involves the appointment of antibiotics and corticosteroid hormones, often leads to recovery. Prophylaxis with a known etiologic factor reduces to the termination of contact with it (for example, transfer to another job, prohibition of taking the appropriate medication).