Neutropenia in Patients Treated with Rituximab

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 348; no. 26; pp. 2691 - 2694
• Main Authors: Voog, Eric, Morschhauser, Franck, Solal-Céligny, Philippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 26-06-2003
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Monoclonal - adverse effects; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Female; Humans; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell - drug therapy; Lymphoma, B-Cell - drug therapy; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - drug therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Neutropenia - chemically induced; Rituximab
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200306263482620

To the Editor:
Rituximab is effective in B-cell lymphomas either as a single agent or combined with chemotherapy. Its toxic effects are generally mild and transient.
1
,
2
We report eight cases of acute and severe neutropenia that occurred 8 to 23 weeks after the administration of rituximab for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. All patients had a normal polymorphonuclear-cell count before rituximab treatment (Table 1). None of the known causes of neutropenia were found. Previous treatment with rituximab two to four months before the development of neutropenia was a common factor in these eight patients, which suggests that rituximab . . .