[Immunologic and drug-induced dyshematopoiesis (author's transl)]

Numerous drugs may disturb hematopoiesis or damage the peripheral blood cells. These often potentially fatal complications are not frequent, but if they do occur the life of the patient depends on whether the attending physician recognizes the correct causes and immediately stops further administration of the drug responsible. The diagnosis must be differentiated from cytopenias of immunological origin in which autoimmune mechanisms are usually present. The most important isolated cytopenias of the three series of cells of the peripheral blood and pancytopenia are discussed. The fundamental mechanisms are differentiated according to the following principles: allergic and due to immunologic mechanisms; allergic without demonstrable immune mechanisms; autoimmunological; toxic and dose-dependent.