GRANULOCYTE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (G-CSF) IN THE EARLY PHASE OF THYROSTATIC-INDUCED AGRANULOCYTOSIS

After coronary angiography a 66-year-old man developed manifest hyperthyroidism (fT(3) 8.7 pg/ml, fT(4) 3.7 ng/dl) marked by tremor, restlessness and sweating. The hyperthyroidism was controlled by high dosages of thiamazole (240 mg daily) and lithium (24-36 mmol daily). But the white cell count a dropped from 8,000/mu l to 4,900/mu l on the eighth day. Although the thiamazole dose was reduced to 40 mg daily, the granulocytopenia became more severe and, on the 24th day of treatment, agranulocytosis occurred (neutrophilic granulocyte count 200/mu l), although the thiamazole had been discontinued. The patient was then isolated and treated prophylactically with ofloxacin. Simultaneously he received 5 mu g/kg granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) subcutaneously daily for 7 days. On the sixth day of this treatment the granulocyte count was 520/mu l, next day 3,800/mu l, and after a further 2 days it overshot to 31,000/mu l, then gradually returning to normal values. - It is recommended that the use of G-CSF should be considered also for thyrostatic-induced agranulocytosis, because it may shorten this dangerous phase.