White Blood Cell Disorders

Neutropenia

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

If your child is experiencing symptoms of neutropenia, you child's doctor will request a complete blood count (CBC) to measure your child's netrophil count. If the neutrophil count is lower than normal, additional CBC tests will be performed to determine if there is a pattern of low neutrophil counts. Your child also will undergo a blood test that looks for antibodies to rule out the diagnosis of other possible disorders.

If blood tests indicate that your child has neutropenia, your child's doctor will request a bone marrow examination, called a bone marrow aspirate, to confirm the diagnosis.

The bone marrow aspirate involves obtaining a small amount of bone marrow tissue and fluid. The sample is typically taken from the back of your child's pelvic bone. The bone is numbed and your child is given medication to reduce pain or possibly induce sleep. A needle is put through the outer bone into the marrow and a sample is removed. This will help determine what type of neutropenia your child has and to what extent it has developed.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated March 25, 2008