Deferiprone is an oral chelating agent that has been recently
shown to reduce cardiac siderosis, but is also known to be
associated with serious side effects like agranulocytosis which
can be fatal. This report is a single centre experience of 5 cases
with severe agranulocytosis in amongst 144 patients (3.47%)
of thalassemia major on combined chelation therapy with
subcutaneous desferrioxamine and oral deferiprone which is
much higher than the previous reports.