An interesting case of agranulocytosis with abnormal progress, Occured in the course of anti-syphilitic treatment

In 1922 Dr. Schultz described this as a peculiar disease. Since then many investigators in all Parts of the world, in Europe and America about a thousand cases, and in Japan about 2 hundred, have been reported. The origin of the disease has not yet been explained. In recent years many investigators have regarded it as not being a peculiar disease, but as a particular groupg of symptoms, especially revealing changes in the blood. About the cause of agranulocytosis, as may be learnt from the literature on the subject it frequently happens in the course of anti-syphilitic treatment, especially in the salvarsan treatment. My case was also of this nature. But the interesting point of my case that the disease occured at first as a type of septic bronchitis, then followed the change of tonsils, and, in spite of the improvement of the latter paralleled by changes of the blood, the former changed to a gangraen of the lung, from which, the patient eventually died. As a complication to agranulocytosis, putrified bronchitis, gangraen of the lung, often occurred in the course of the disease. But it is a very interesting thing that this complication played a most important part in this desease, Finally, this complication was not caused by soaking the pus of the tonsils. In conclusion, I should like to remark that, in the course of anti-syphilitic treatment, or even after the treatment, it is important to pay attention to this disease.