Metamizole (dipyrone)-induced agranulocytosis: Does the risk vary according to ethnicity?

The possibility that the British, Irish and Scandinavians show higher susceptibility than other populations to dipyrone-induced agranulocytosis cannot be ruled out. If this complication is linked to specific HLA allele(s), populations with higher frequency of variant HLA allele(s) may be at a greater risk. If confirmed, screening for the risk allele may be useful in reducing the risk of dipyrone-induced agranulocytosis.