Recovery of carbimazole-induced agranulocytosis following recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) administration.

A 56 year old female patient treated with carbimazole for hyperthyroidism developed agranulocytosis complicated by pneumonia. She was treated by sc administration of 6 micrograms/kg rhGM-CSF for 10 days. The first neutrophils appeared in the peripheral blood on the 4th day and normal numbers are reached on the 7th day of treatment. This was accompanied by a rapid resolution of fever. The use of growth factors may be justified in cases of drug-induced agranulocytosis.