Korean J Dermatol.
2018 May;56(4):265-268.
Three Cases of Cytopenia during Azathioprine Treatment for Bullous Disease
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, Korea. skksasf@hanmail.net
Abstract
- Azathioprine is an immunosuppressive drug that has been widely used in dermatology for the treatment of immunobullous diseases. Myelosuppression is the most important side effect and requires close observation of the complete blood cell count. The clinical findings of myelosuppression include general weakness, poor oral intake, nausea, dyspnea, and pallor. It can occur within several weeks to years after initial azathioprine treatment; thus, a weekly full blood count for the first 4 weeks, followed by reduced frequency of monitoring to a minimum of once every 3 months is recommended. If the myelosuppression is not treated properly, it can lead to fever, secondary infection, sepsis, and even death. Herein, we present three educational cases for dermatologists to order to underline the risk of myelosuppression during azathioprine treatment.
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