title: Agranulocytosis induced by ethambutol in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis.
abstract: We report a case of agranulocytosis caused by ethambutol in a 79-year-old man with pulmonary tuberculosis. He was referred for fever and skin rash developed on 21th day after antituberculosis drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide) intake. Complete blood count at the time of diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was normal. On the seventh admission day, agranulocytosis was developed with absolute neutrophil count of 70/µL. We discontinued all antituberculosis drugs, and then treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Three days later, the number of white blood cell returned to normal. We administered isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol in order with an interval. However, fever and skin rash developed again when adding ethambutol, so we discontinued ethambutol. After these symptoms disappeared, we added rifampicin and ethambutol in order with an interval. However after administering ethambutol, neutropenia developed, so we discontinued ethambutol again. He was cured with isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide for 9 months.
authors: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Kyoung Min
authors: KM
authors: Moon
authors: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Min Soo
authors: MS
authors: Han
authors: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: So Hee
authors: SH
authors: Chung
authors: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Ju Ri
authors: JR
authors: Kim
authors: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Jin Young
authors: JY
authors: Kim
authors: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Sun Young
authors: SY
authors: Jung
authors: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Yongseon
authors: Y
authors: Cho
keywords: Agranulocytosis; Ethambutol; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary