agranulocytosis

American  

[uh-gran-yuh-loh-sahy-toh-sis] / əˌgræn yə loʊ saɪˈtoʊ sɪs /

noun

Pathology.

1. a serious, acute blood disease, sometimes related to drug or radiation therapy, characterized by extreme leukopenia, fever, and ulcerations of the mucous membranes.

---

agranulocytosis British  

/ əˌɡrænjʊləʊsaɪˈtəʊsɪs /

noun

1. a serious and sometimes fatal illness characterized by a marked reduction of leucocytes, usually caused by hypersensitivity to certain drugs

---

Etymology

Origin of agranulocytosis

First recorded in 1925–30; a- ⁶ + granulocyte + -osis

Example Sentences

But in the 1960s, physicians linked medically prescribed potassium perchlorate to a number of deaths by aplastic anemia and severe agranulocytosis, two blood disorders.

From Slate • Apr. 7, 2015

Up to 2% of those who take the drug develop agranulocytosis, an immune-system disorder that is often fatal if left undetected.

From Time Magazine Archive

The appearance of agranulocytosis -- marked by a drop in white blood cells -- is always tragic.

From Time Magazine Archive

American and European research eventually showed that agranulocytosis occurred in 1% to 2% of clozapine patients and that it could be detected and nipped in the bud by conducting blood tests on a weekly basis.

From Time Magazine Archive

But Clozaril has a major drawback: a life-threatening side effect called agranulocytosis, a drastic drop in white blood cells that requires patients to undergo expensive weekly blood monitoring.

From Time Magazine Archive