White Blood Cell Disorders

Neutropenia

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Neutropenia causes low levels of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that destroys bacteria in the blood and helps protect your child from infections. Neutropenia can be a very serious condition because without enough neutrophils, your child is susceptible to bacterial infections that can become life threatening.

There are several forms of neutropenia:

• Congenital Neutropenia — This is a severe, inherited form of the disease and is most common among babies and very young children, rather than adults. Symptoms include frequent fevers, mouth sores, ear infections, pneumonia or rectal sores. If untreated, children may lose their teeth or develop severe gum infections. The most severe form of chronic congenital neutropenia is called Kostmann's syndrome.

• Cyclic Neutropenia — This condition occurs in both children and adults and is often present in several members of the same family. Cyclic neutropenia tends to occur every three weeks and last three to six days at a time. Symptoms include fever, illness and mouth ulcers. Children with cyclic neutropenia usually improve after puberty.

• Chronic Benign Neutropenia — This is a rare form of neutropenia that could result in life threatening infections. This is the most common form in children under 4 years of age. The rate of infections decreases with age.

Children with neutropenia tend to develop infections easily because their white blood cell count is too low to ward off bacteria. Most infections occur in the lungs, mouth, throat, sinuses and skin. Some patients experience painful mouth ulcers, gum infections, ear infections, periodontal disease or disease of the tissues surrounding the teeth and infections of the urinary tract, colon, rectum or reproductive tract.

Other symptoms include:

• Fever
• Shaking chills
• Sore throat
• Cough or shortness of breath
• Nasal congestion
• Diarrhea or loose bowels
• Burning during urination
• Unusual redness, swelling or warmth at the site of an injury

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