Library · Disease
Neutropenia
Make it clearer
Neutropenia means having too few neutrophils. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of leukocyte, which is the medical name for a white blood cell. They leave the blood vessels and move into the tissues, and there they swallow invading microorganisms, kill them, and digest them.
The shortage is graded by severity as mild, moderate, severe, and agranulocytosis, which is the name of the last grade on that scale. And the possible origins make up a long list. That list includes a primary production problem in the bone marrow, the tissue inside the bones where neutrophils are made, and also causes that come from outside the marrow, such as autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy, or some antibiotics.
What matters is the consequence. If neutrophil function fails, the result is an immunodeficiency, meaning defenses that fall short, and it shows up mainly as infections that keep coming back. When no one takes out the trash, the same mess turns up again and again.
In brief
Neutropenia is a lack of neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes, which engulf, kill, and digest invading microorganisms after leaving the blood vessels.
It is graded as mild, moderate, severe, and agranulocytosis, and its differential is broad: it includes a primary production disorder in the bone marrow and causes outside it, such as autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy, or antibiotics.
When neutrophil function fails, the result is an immunodeficiency that shows up mainly as repeated infections.
When no one takes out the trash, the same mess turns up again and again.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingNeutropenia, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated