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Neutrophil margination as a possible mechanism for verteporfin infusion-associated pain

2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 135; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0002-9394(02)01983-9

1879-1891

Richard F. Spaide, Leandro Maranan,

Hematological disorders and diagnostics

Purpose To investigate the changes in absolute neutrophil counts in patients with and without pain after verteporfin infusion. Design Experimental study. Methods The absolute neutrophil counts were obtained from the blood samples taken at the beginning of infusion and after the end of verteporfin infusion. Results Four patients in whom verteporfin infusion-related pain developed had a decrease in the absolute neutrophil counts from a preinfusion mean of 4,589/mm3 to a postinfusion mean of 1,688/mm3 while they had pain, as compared with preinfusion and postinfusion counts of 4,912/mm3 and 4,111/mm3, respectively, in five control patients having no pain, a difference in proportion that was significant (P = .027). Conclusions Patients in this study with verteporfin infusion-associated pain developed neutropenia during infusion, most likely from drug-induced neutrophil margination. It is possible that medications preventing the transient neutropenia may help avert verteporfin infusion-associated pain.