NEUTROPENIA FOLLOWING AMIDOPYRINE

Abstract

The increasing number of cases reported in recent years presenting the syndrome of agranulocytic angina or malignant neutropenia has excited comment from many observers. Numerous drugs, organisms and toxins have been connected with the disease entity but definite confirmatory clinical and experimental data have been lacking. Kracke1in 1932 was able to induce the characteristic blood picture in rabbits with small subcutaneous injections of benzene following the lead of Selling2in 1916 in demonstrating the leukotoxic effects of benzene on myeloblastic tissues. Kracke also produced a marked leukopenia with subcutaneous injections of orthooxybenzoic acid and by the intravenous injections of hydroquinone. He was unsuccessful in depressing the leukocyte count with a group of other substances, as acetphenatidin, peralga (barbituric acid and amidopyrine), dial, resorcinol, pyrocatechin, orthocresol, para and metaoxybenzoic acid and 50 per cent alcohol. To one rabbit he administered from 5 to 10 grains (0.3 to 0.65