Neutropenia
Neutropenia Causes
Causes of neutropenia from disease can be categorized as resulting from decreased production of white blood cells, destruction of white blood cells after they are produced, or pooling of white blood cells (accumulation of the white blood cells out of the circulation).
Neutropenia Definition
Neutropenia is a condition of an abnormal low number of a type of a particular type of white blood cell called a neutrophil. White blood cells are the cells in the blood that has an important role in the body's immune by fighting off infection. Because white blood cells could be affected by many diseases, doctors will often check the "white blood cell count" in evaluating health conditions.
Neutropenia Diagnosis
Low neutrophil counts are detected on full blood count. Usually, some other investigations are required to arrive at the right diagnosis. When the diagnosis is not certain, or serious causes are suspected, bone marrow biopsy is often necessary.
Neutropenia Symptoms and Signs
Common symptoms of neutropenia include: Fever, Frequent infections due to lessened ability to fight bacterial infections, Mouth ulcers, Diarrhea, Burning sensation when urinating, unusual redness, pain, or swelling around a wound, Sore throat, Shortness of breath, shaking chills.
Neutropenia Treatment
There is no ideal therapy for neutropenia, but recombinant G-CSF (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) can be effective in chemotherapy patients, in patients with congenital forms of neutropenia including severe congenital neutropenia, autosomal recessive Kostmann's syndrome, cyclic neutropenia, and myelokathexis.