Asacol®-induced neutropenia resolution without the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

We report a case of neutropenia and gram-negative septicemia in a 73-year-old male with ulcerative colitis. During the hospital course, medications were adjusted according to rare accounts of drug-induced neutropenia. While the substitution of propafenone for another antiarrhythmic brought about no change in the patient's absolute neutrophil count, the cessation of Asacol® (Warner Chilcott, Rockaway, NJ) was followed by a significant improvement in the neutropenic state. In fact, this neutrophil count continued to trend upward for months following. We thereby conclude that Asacol® carries the potential to induce neutropenia and that this reaction may be reversed in some patients solely by discontinuing the medication and without the aid of stimulating factors such as filgrastim.