A Case of Agranulocytosis and Soft Tissue Abscess after Increasing Methimazole Dose in a Patient with Graves Disease under Long-term Mainternance Therapy.
- Author:
Se Yoon PARK
1
;
Sung Wan CHUN
;
Yeo Joo KIM
;
Sang Jin KIM
Author Information
1. Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea. yeojoo@schca.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Agranulocytosis;
Graves' disease;
Soft tissue infections
- MeSH:
Abscess;
Agranulocytosis;
Anti-Bacterial Agents;
Antithyroid Agents;
Female;
Graves Disease;
Humans;
Hydrazines;
Methimazole;
Soft Tissue Infections
- From:Journal of Korean Thyroid Association
2011;4(1):54-57
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Antithyroid drugs (ATD) has been widely used to treat Graves' disease. However agranulocytosis, a serious fatal complication of ATD treatment, occurs in about 0.5 percent. The symptoms may mimic viral infections (fever, sore throat), and the potentially life-threatening pyogenic infections can go unrecognized initially. The median duration of drug exposure before the onset of acute agranulocytosis is within 30 days in most cases. We report a case of agranulocytosis with secondary soft tissue infection and abscess occuring after increasing the dose of methimazole in a woman who had taken methimazole for more than 10 years. We administered broad-spectrum antibiotics and aspirated the soft tissue abscess. A review of the medical literature regarding agranulocytosis in the setting of ATDs is presented.
