The human body has a number of mechanisms used to combat disease. One in particular is the manufacturing of neutrophils. These white blood cells are produced and mature in the bone marrow over the course of about two weeks. Once released, these cells circulate throughout the body for six hours in search of foreign substances to remove from circulation.
What is Neutropenia?
Neutropenia is the medical term for a decrease in production of the aforementioned cells. The lack of these cells can lead to complications including frequent infections, abscesses (accumulation of deceased cells), pneumonia or mouth sores. Diagnosis through blood testing is the only way to be certain as these complications are not particular to neutropenia, they are only symptomatic of the condition. If patients notice a frequent recurrence of the same infections, they should ask their doctor to perform a white blood cell count. This count is frequently performed by taking a sample of the patient’s bone marrow and counting the number of neutrophil stem cells. A thorough screening is important because in some cases a low neutrophil count may also indicate a more serious condition, such as tuberculosis, leukemia or other cancers.
How Does This Develop?
Neutropenia develops when the number of active neutrophils are utilized more quickly than they can be reproduced. This is often seen in patients who are battling active infections, in the course of certain drug treatments and during chemotherapy. Patients with an enlarged spleen may suffer from this condition as the spleen will destroy these white blood cells.
What Treatment Options Are Available?
The treatment for the condition depends on the cause of the neutropenia. If the condition occurs due to a reaction from medication or an environmental toxin, once these exposures are stopped, the number of white blood cells should return to normal levels. However, if the cause of the condition is more persistent, other treatment options must be considered. Medications that stimulate the growth of these cells may be prescribed to boost the number of white blood cells. Treatment of the underlying cause will resolve the condition, for example removing the enlarged spleen.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/pediatric-white-cell-disorders/
http://www.neutropenia.ca/about/what-is-neutropenia
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec14/ch174/ch174b.html