From the Research
Causes of Leukopenia
The causes of leukopenia can be varied and complex. Some of the possible causes include:
- Infection, which can lead to increased utilization and destruction of white blood cells 1
- Drugs, which can suppress the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow 1
- Malignancy, which can infiltrate the bone marrow and disrupt the production of white blood cells 1
- Megaloblastosis, a condition characterized by the presence of large, immature red blood cells in the bone marrow 1
- Hypersplenism, a condition in which the spleen is overactive and destroys too many white blood cells 1
- Immunoneutropenia, a condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys white blood cells 1
- Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), a genetic disorder that can cause episodic leukopenia due to autophagy and apoptosis processes 2
- Congenital myelopathy, a rare condition that affects the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow 3
- Immune-mediated neutropenias, which can occur in infancy and early childhood 3
- Malignant hematological disease, which can infiltrate the bone marrow and disrupt the production of white blood cells 3
Classification of Neutropenia
Neutropenia can be classified as:
- Transient or chronic 4
- Extrinsic or intrinsic 4 Extrinsic causes can include infection, drugs, and other external factors, while intrinsic causes can include impaired proliferation and maturation of myeloid progenitor cells in the bone marrow 4
Clinical Presentation
Leukopenia can present with a range of symptoms, including:
- Increased risk of infection, particularly bacterial infections 1, 4
- Fever, which can be a sign of underlying infection 5, 4
- Agranulocytosis, a condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough granulocytes, a type of white blood cell 5
- Pancytopenia, a condition in which there is a reduction in all three types of blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) 5