Dipyrone, Great Killer or Innocent as Any Drug: Two Case Reports Presenting Rare and Life-Threatening Adverse Effects of Dipyrone


YİĞİT Ö., SÖYÜNCÜ S.

TURKIYE KLINIKLERI TIP BILIMLERI DERGISI, vol.32, no.3, pp.832-836, 2012 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 32 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2012
  • Doi Number: 10.5336/medsci.2010-18328
  • Journal Name: TURKIYE KLINIKLERI TIP BILIMLERI DERGISI
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.832-836
  • Keywords: Dipyrone, adverse effects, agranulocytosis, epidermal necrolysis, toxic, AGRANULOCYTOSIS, METAMIZOL, RISK
  • Akdeniz University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Dipyrone is a potent analgesic and antipyretic drug that has been used clinically for more than 80 years. In some parts of the world, it has been banned because of its association with agranulocytosis. We reported two different cases, presenting with rare but life-threatening adverse effects of dipyrone. First case was a 63-year-old woman that presented to the emergency department with fever. She had developed neutropenia after taking a 500 mg oral dipyrone tablet and following further evaluation was diagnosed with dipyrone-induced agranulocytosis. Second case was a 70-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with diffuse erythematous skin rash after dipyrone injection and was diagnosed with toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with dipyrone. The balance between the benefit and harm is particularly important. Nevertheless, agranulocytosis is not the only life-threatening risk with dipyrone use and limiting the discussion of risks of dipyrone to agranulocytosis leads to an underestimation of the dangers of the drug.