Agranulocytosis is a rare side effect of phenytoin treatment. We describe the case of an elderly man who developed agranulocytosis 2 weeks following initiation of phenytoin treatment, on no cytotoxic drugs or any other medications except decadron. The white blood cell count was 300/mm3 with absent granulocytes. The liver enzymes were also noted to be newly elevated. Complete workup showed no evidence of infection. The patient was managed as a case of neutropenic fever and phenytoin was discontinued. A bone marrow biopsy showed absent granulocyte precursors after myelocytes, and an antigranulocyte antibody titer was negative, which suggests a direct toxic effect rather than an immunologic phenomenon. Both agranulocytosis and hepatitis were readily reversible on phenytoin cessation.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
2
17%
Unknown
5
42%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 06 November 2025.
All research outputs
#8,534,528
of 25,373,627 outputs
Outputs from Acta Haematologica
#178
of 816 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#38,280
of 108,366 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Acta Haematologica
#32
of 196 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,373,627 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 43rd percentile – i.e., 43% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 816 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 3.4. This one is in the 46th percentile – i.e., 46% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 196 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 8th percentile – i.e., 8% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
