It can be caused by a viral infection or by an antibody, which is a normally protective biochemical in your blood that you develop against your own white blood cells. This disease may be the first sign of leukemia or aplastic anemia. The characteristic symptom of the disease is susceptibility to infection. This is especially true in the mouth and throat, where ulcers and infection with sore throat often occur. Sometimes, if you have agranulocytosis, infections such as pneumonia progress unusually rapidly and are extremely severe, or even fatal.
Some drugs carry a risk of damaging bone marrow.
Your physician may arrange for a blood test. If the results show that you have agranulo-cytosis, he or she will confirm the diagnosis by performing a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, in which a small amount of bone marrow is removed through a needle and examined. Any offending drug will be discontinued immediately. If you know that a drug has caused this problem, tell your physician. Please continue to support our Community Masonic Blood Program by donating as often as possible and encouraging family and friends to donate.