Hematologic side effects are rare side effects of treatment with phenytoin. We report a 2-year-old girl who developed reversible thrombocytopenia following treatment with phenytoin. Thrombocytopenia as a side effect of phenytoin treatment has usually been reported in adults and generally occurs 2 to 4 weeks after initiation of therapy. In our case, the thrombocytopenia developed on the 11th day of therapy and resolved 5 days after discontinuation of the phenytoin. (J Child Neurol 1999;14:130-131).
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Pisciotta AV: Phenytoin: Hematological toxicity, in Woodbury DM, Penry JK, Pippinger CE (eds.): Antiepileptic Drugs. New York, Raven Press, 1982, pp 257-268.
Kelton JG, Meltzer D., Moore J., et al: Drug-induced thrombocytopenia is associated with increased binding of IgG to platelets both in vivo and in vitro. Blood1981:55:524-529.
4.
Yue CP, Mann KS, Chan KH: Severe thrombocytopenia due to combined cimetidine and phenytoin therapy . Neurosurgery1987;20:963-965.
5.
Arbiser JL, Goldstein AM, Gordon D.: Thrombocytopenia following administration of phenytoin, dexamethasone and cimetidine: A case report and a potential mechanism. J Int Med1993;234:91-94.
6.
Holtzer CD, Reisner-Keller LA: Phenytoin-induced thrombocytopenia. Ann Pharmacother1997;31:435-437.
7.
Cimo PL, Pisciotta AV, Desai RG, et al: Detection of drug-dependent antibodies by the 51Cr platelet test: Documentation of immune thrombocytopenia induced by diphenylhydrantoin, diazepam, and sulfisoxazole. Am J Hematol1977;2:65-72.
8.
Brown JJ, Chun Rwm: Phenytoin-induced thrombocytopenia. Pediatr Neurol1986;2:99-101.
9.
Fincham RW, Hamilton HE, Schottelius DD: Late onset thrombocytopenia with phenytoin therapy. Ann Neurol1979;6:370.