Usual and Unusual Agranulocytosis During Neuroleptic Therapy
J. V. ANANTH M.D., D.P.M.1,
J. V. VALLES M.D.2, , and
J. P. WHITELAW M.D.3
1 Director of Education, Division of Psychopharmacology, and Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada and Chief, Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, St. Mary's Hospital, Montreal
2 Resident in psychiatry, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada
3 Intern in psychiatry, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada
Agranulocytosis, an uncommon side effect of phenothiazine treatment, usually occurs within the first three months of such treatment and remits after the substitution of another neuroleptic. The authors report one patient in whom the illness took its usual course and two in whom it did not. Of these two, one patient demonstrated agranulocytosis only after years of phenothiazine therapy and the other showed agranulocytic reactions to various neuroleptics.
