[Agranulocytosis caused by captopril].

Captopril, an inhibitor of the conversion enzyme, is a medication with a known efficacy in the treatment of arterial hypertension and congestive cardiac insufficiency. Its side-effects are few. Among them, agranulocytosis is a severe complication, all the more severe and frequent as it occurs in patients with chronic renal insufficiency, collagen disease, or patient treated with medication having a leucopenic potential. Our case reports an agranulocytosis secondary to captopril in a patient with cardiac insufficiency presenting none of these aggravating factors. The mechanism of agranulocytosis secondary to captopril remains currently debatable, but does not seem, in the present case, to be dose related. Thus, a captopril prescription must comply with certain rules; decrease of the dosage in case of renal insufficiency, usual precautions in patients with collagene diseases. The association to a medication with leucopenic potential is to be avoided. Hematologic monitoring will be adapted to each particular case.