Aplastic anemia during ethosuximide medication. Treatment with bolus-methylprednisolone.

A girl, born in 1975, developed severe aplastic anemia in November 1982 while on ethosuximide monotherapy for petit mal epilepsy, about 3 months after starting the ethosuximide medication. She was treated with bolus-methylprednisolone as described by Bacigalupo et al. (13), transfusions and antibiotics. During the third week on this regimen slight improvements in granulocyte and reticulocyte counts were demonstrated, and after approximately 6 weeks she was in stable condition without further need of transfusions. Blood status should be checked regularly during ethosuximide therapy, particularly during the first 6 months.