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Abstract

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OBJECTIVE:

To report a case of ticlopidine-induced neutropenia occurring 18 days after discontinuation of the drug.

CASE SUMMARY:

A 68-year-old woman was placed on ticlopidine after a transient ischemic attack. Ten days later the drug was discontinued because the patient developed a rash. Eighteen days later she developed pneumonia and neutropenia, which were believed to be induced by ticlopidine.

DISCUSSION:

Drug-induced neutropenia is serious and at times life-threatening. Ticlopidine-induced neutropenia has been described in patients receiving the medication. We report neutropenia occurring 18 days after discontinuation of ticlopidine.

CONCLUSIONS:

Indications for prescribing ticlopidine must be closely followed. Complete blood cell count monitoring is imperative while the patient is receiving the medication. This case suggests that the duration of monitoring after the discontinuation of ticlopidine may need to be longer than the 14 days recommended by the manufacturer.

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Delayed Neutropenia with Ticlopidine