THE ETIOLOGY OF PRIMARY GRANULOCYTOPENIA (AGRANULOCYTIC ANGINA)

Abstract

In 1922, when Schultz¹ described the syndrome which he called "agranulocytosis" and which later was called "agranulocytic angina,"² he suggested that it might be the result of a depressant effect on the bone marrow of an unknown micro-organism or possibly of an unknown chemical agent. Extensive search for an organism capable of producing such an effect has met little success. Salmonella suipestifer,³ Bacillus pyocyaneus⁴ and occasional organisms isolated from human cases have produced leukopenia with granulopenia in experimental animals but not in a manner entirely comparable to the syndrome seen in the human being. Nor has any organism thus far been found to occur constantly or even frequently in the clinical cases. Recently Dennis⁵ has attempted to incriminate focal infections by introducing various organisms in the experimental animal in a manner intended to simulate that type of infection in man and has found a tendency