Aminoglutethimide-induced bone marrow injury. Report of a case and review of the literature.

A patient with advanced breast cancer who died of septicemia associated with aminoglutethimide induced agranulocytosis, is reported. Aminoglutethimide is effective and widely used in the treatment of metastatic adenocarcinoma of breast. Thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, or pancytopenia have been reported as complications of therapy in 1.6% of 1345 patients treated in recently published clinical trials employing aminoglutethimide; and this may underestimate the true incidence of this drug side effect. Implications for clinical research and clinical practice are discussed.