Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Leukopenia?SymptomsCausesTypes of LeukopeniaTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Leukopenia?
Symptoms
Causes
Types of Leukopenia
Treatment
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Leukopeniais when you have an abnormally low number of white blood cells (leukocytes). Alow white blood cell countmay or may not cause symptoms, but can result in serious health complications since you have fewer disease-fighting blood cells.
There are several types of leukopenia, which can develop from an underlying condition or as a reaction to medication or other factors. Treatment depends on what caused leukopenia.
Once diagnosed, it’s important to have your blood levels monitored because people with leukopenia are at risk for serious infections, diseases, and other complications.
Jasmin Merdan / Getty Images
Leukopenia refers to an abnormally low concentration of leukocytes in the blood. The acceptable range of white blood cells varies depending on age and gender assigned at birth.
The values in the table below show the average white blood cell ranges for specific groups.If levels fall below these ranges, it indicates someone has leukopenia.
A drop in these levels will affect the various types of white blood cells, especiallyneutrophils, the most common type of leukocyte, Neutrophils are your body’s first line of defense against infection.
Leukopenia is not a life-threatening issue on its own. However, white blood cells are found in your blood and lymph tissues, which means that drops in white blood cells have a far-reaching impact on your overall health.
Symptoms of Leukopenia
Leukopenia may not present with any symptoms.However, underlying conditions that can cause leukopenia can be severe.
Signs of conditions associated with leukopenia include symptoms of a frequent infection such as:
While some infections can improve on their own, persistent leukopenia (specifically, neutropenia), can permit infections to recur and be prolonged and severe, which would require treatment.
Causes of Leukopenia
A number of issues can lead to a low white blood cell count. The cause could be an underlying medical condition, change in medication, or other factor that does one of the following
Infections
Almost any infection can lead to leukopenia. Infections can trigger the rapid use or destruction of neutrophils. They may also impair neutrophil production in bone marrow.
In addition to being a cause of leukopenia, infections are a risk for those who have a low white blood cell count.With fewer of these cells, you are more likely to develop an infection with dangerous complications such assepsis.
Medications
Many different medications can cause leukopenia as a side effect, including:
Not everyone who takes one of these drugs will develop leukopenia. When drug-induced leukopenia does occur, it tends to happen within 60 days of starting the drug.
Cancer
Cancers that affect the bone marrow, includingmultiple myeloma,myelodysplasticsyndromes, andmyelofibrosis, can cause leukopenia because white blood cells cannot be properly formed.It is also associated with blood cancers likeleukemia and lymphoma.
In addition, you could develop a low white blood count from treatments for cancer since these therapies are aimed at eliminating cells, like leukocytes, that divide quickly. Treatments that put you at risk include:
Bone Marrow Disorders
Underlying bone marrow disorders can lead to problems with leukocyte production. Bone marrow disorders may be congenital (present at birth) or acquired later in life.
These bone marrow disorders can lead to leukopenia:
Autoimmune Diseases
Some autoimmune diseases cause leukopenia when the immune system mistakenly destroys white blood cells:
Malnutrition
Nutritional deficiencies are known to result in neutropenia, particularly deficiencies ofvitamin B12, folic acid, or copper.Each of these vitamins is crucial for healthy blood cell production and function.
Copper and folate deficiencies are uncommon in the general population, but vitamin B12 happens more frequently. Leukopenia usually resolves once the nutrient deficiency is corrected.
Treatments for Leukopenia
The best approach to battling leukopenia is to try and prevent it. This may involve healthcare providers prescribing prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics for people at risk for bacterial infection.
The drug G-CSF (granulocytecolony-stimulating factor) may also be recommended to stimulate the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow.
With successful treatment, leukocyte levels should return to normal.
In people with rheumatoid arthritis, treatment with G-CSF often results in joint flares.Your healthcare provider will determine if the benefits of G-CSF treatment outweigh the risks.
Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Leukopenia
If you have leukopenia, it’s important to determine why you have developed this problem. Yourcomplete blood count (CBC)will provide information about your total number of leukocytes and the percentage and number of each individual type.This will help your healthcare providers get an idea about the possible cause.
Other tests you may need include:
Leukopenia can put you at risk for dangerous infections. You can also develop serious medical problems due to the underlying condition associated with leukopenia.
If you have been diagnosed with leukopenia, you may need to have periodic blood tests to monitor your white blood cell count.Your healthcare providers can also tell you what signs to look for that could indicate a medical complication.
Get medical attention if you experience any of the following:
Can Leukopenia Resolve Without Treatment?Leukopenia doesn’t typically get better on its own unless it’s a medication side effect. When you stop taking the medication, your white blood cells should begin to reach normal levels within a few weeks. If you are diagnosed with leukopenia, it’s important for your healthcare providers to look for the underlying cause and start a treatment plan.
Can Leukopenia Resolve Without Treatment?
Leukopenia doesn’t typically get better on its own unless it’s a medication side effect. When you stop taking the medication, your white blood cells should begin to reach normal levels within a few weeks. If you are diagnosed with leukopenia, it’s important for your healthcare providers to look for the underlying cause and start a treatment plan.
Summary
Leukopenia is a low white blood cell count. This condition may accompany underlying diseases and lead to complications, such as infections. Common causes of leukopenia are medications (especially chemotherapy), bone marrow disorders, blood cancer, and some infections.
If you have leukopenia, it’s important to seek medical care to clarify the cause and treatment. Usually, identifying the underlying cause involves diagnostic testing before a treatment plan can be started.
24 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Understanding Blood Counts.University of Rochester Medical Center.White blood cell count.Rastogi S, Kalaiselvan V, Bin Jardan YA, Zameer S, Sarwat M.Comparative study of adverse drug reactions associated with filgrastim and pegfilgrastim using the EudraVigilance Database.Biology (Basel).2022;11(2):340. doi:10.3390/biology11020340American Cancer Society.Neutropenia (Low White Blood Cell Counts).Merck Manual.Neutropenia.MedlinePlus.Low white blood cell count and cancer.Gibson C, Berliner N.How we evaluate and treat neutropenia in adults.Blood. 2014 Aug;124(8):1251-1258. doi:10.1182/blood-2014-02-482612Andrès E, Mourot-Cottet R, Maloisel F, et al.Idiosyncratic drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis.QJM. 2017 May;110(5):299-305. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcw220Pick A, Nystrom K.Nonchemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis: Could medications be the culprit?.J Pharm Pract. 2014 Aug;27(5):447-452. doi:10.1177/0897190014546115Meraj F, Muhammad Hanif H, Rahil Khan M, Mansoor N.Transient acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia associated with pediatric hodgkin lymphoma: A case report.Ped Hematol Oncol J. 2021 Dec;6(4):203-206. doi:10.1016/j.phoj.2021.09.001National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aplastic anemia.Alhammadi N, Gladman D, Su J, Urowitz M.Isolated neutropenia in systemic lupus erythematosus.J Rheumatol. 2023 Mar;50(3):459-460. doi:10.3899/jrheum.220373Fragoulis G, Paterson C, Gilmour A, et al.Neutropaenia in early rheumatoid arthritis: frequency, predicting factors, natural history and outcome.RMD Open. 2018;4(2):1-7. doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2018-000739Audia S, Grienay N, Mounier M, Michel M, Bonnotte B.Evans' syndrome: From diagnosis to treatment.J Clin Med. 2020 Nov;9(12):3851. doi:10.3390/jcm9123851BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of neutropenia.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Neutropenia.Donadieu J, Beaupain B, Fenneteau O, Bellanné-Chantelot C.Congenital neutropenia in the era of genomics: classification, diagnosis, and natural history.BJHaem. 2017 Nov;179(4):557-574. doi:10.1111/bjh.14887Curtis BR.Non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia: key points to manage the challenges.Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2017;2017(1):187-193. doi:10.1182/asheducation-2017.1.187National Cancer Institute.Pancytopenia.Dinan M, Hirsch B, Lyman G.Management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia: Measuring quality, cost, and value.JNCCN. 2015 Jan;13(1):1-7. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2015.0014Children’s Minnesota.Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT).Fioredda F, Iacobelli S, van Biezen A, et al.Stem cell transplantation in severe congenital neutropenia: an analysis from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.Blood. 2015;126(16):1885-1892. doi.10.1182/blood-2015-02-628859National Institute of Health.Normal blood values.Calabretto G, Teramo A, Barilà G, Vicenzetto C, Gasparini VR, Semenzato G, Zambello R.Neutropenia and large granular lymphocyte leukemia: from pathogenesis to therapeutic options.Cells.2021;10(10):2800. doi:10.3390/cells10102800
24 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Understanding Blood Counts.University of Rochester Medical Center.White blood cell count.Rastogi S, Kalaiselvan V, Bin Jardan YA, Zameer S, Sarwat M.Comparative study of adverse drug reactions associated with filgrastim and pegfilgrastim using the EudraVigilance Database.Biology (Basel).2022;11(2):340. doi:10.3390/biology11020340American Cancer Society.Neutropenia (Low White Blood Cell Counts).Merck Manual.Neutropenia.MedlinePlus.Low white blood cell count and cancer.Gibson C, Berliner N.How we evaluate and treat neutropenia in adults.Blood. 2014 Aug;124(8):1251-1258. doi:10.1182/blood-2014-02-482612Andrès E, Mourot-Cottet R, Maloisel F, et al.Idiosyncratic drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis.QJM. 2017 May;110(5):299-305. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcw220Pick A, Nystrom K.Nonchemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis: Could medications be the culprit?.J Pharm Pract. 2014 Aug;27(5):447-452. doi:10.1177/0897190014546115Meraj F, Muhammad Hanif H, Rahil Khan M, Mansoor N.Transient acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia associated with pediatric hodgkin lymphoma: A case report.Ped Hematol Oncol J. 2021 Dec;6(4):203-206. doi:10.1016/j.phoj.2021.09.001National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aplastic anemia.Alhammadi N, Gladman D, Su J, Urowitz M.Isolated neutropenia in systemic lupus erythematosus.J Rheumatol. 2023 Mar;50(3):459-460. doi:10.3899/jrheum.220373Fragoulis G, Paterson C, Gilmour A, et al.Neutropaenia in early rheumatoid arthritis: frequency, predicting factors, natural history and outcome.RMD Open. 2018;4(2):1-7. doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2018-000739Audia S, Grienay N, Mounier M, Michel M, Bonnotte B.Evans' syndrome: From diagnosis to treatment.J Clin Med. 2020 Nov;9(12):3851. doi:10.3390/jcm9123851BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of neutropenia.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Neutropenia.Donadieu J, Beaupain B, Fenneteau O, Bellanné-Chantelot C.Congenital neutropenia in the era of genomics: classification, diagnosis, and natural history.BJHaem. 2017 Nov;179(4):557-574. doi:10.1111/bjh.14887Curtis BR.Non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia: key points to manage the challenges.Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2017;2017(1):187-193. doi:10.1182/asheducation-2017.1.187National Cancer Institute.Pancytopenia.Dinan M, Hirsch B, Lyman G.Management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia: Measuring quality, cost, and value.JNCCN. 2015 Jan;13(1):1-7. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2015.0014Children’s Minnesota.Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT).Fioredda F, Iacobelli S, van Biezen A, et al.Stem cell transplantation in severe congenital neutropenia: an analysis from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.Blood. 2015;126(16):1885-1892. doi.10.1182/blood-2015-02-628859National Institute of Health.Normal blood values.Calabretto G, Teramo A, Barilà G, Vicenzetto C, Gasparini VR, Semenzato G, Zambello R.Neutropenia and large granular lymphocyte leukemia: from pathogenesis to therapeutic options.Cells.2021;10(10):2800. doi:10.3390/cells10102800
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Understanding Blood Counts.University of Rochester Medical Center.White blood cell count.Rastogi S, Kalaiselvan V, Bin Jardan YA, Zameer S, Sarwat M.Comparative study of adverse drug reactions associated with filgrastim and pegfilgrastim using the EudraVigilance Database.Biology (Basel).2022;11(2):340. doi:10.3390/biology11020340American Cancer Society.Neutropenia (Low White Blood Cell Counts).Merck Manual.Neutropenia.MedlinePlus.Low white blood cell count and cancer.Gibson C, Berliner N.How we evaluate and treat neutropenia in adults.Blood. 2014 Aug;124(8):1251-1258. doi:10.1182/blood-2014-02-482612Andrès E, Mourot-Cottet R, Maloisel F, et al.Idiosyncratic drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis.QJM. 2017 May;110(5):299-305. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcw220Pick A, Nystrom K.Nonchemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis: Could medications be the culprit?.J Pharm Pract. 2014 Aug;27(5):447-452. doi:10.1177/0897190014546115Meraj F, Muhammad Hanif H, Rahil Khan M, Mansoor N.Transient acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia associated with pediatric hodgkin lymphoma: A case report.Ped Hematol Oncol J. 2021 Dec;6(4):203-206. doi:10.1016/j.phoj.2021.09.001National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aplastic anemia.Alhammadi N, Gladman D, Su J, Urowitz M.Isolated neutropenia in systemic lupus erythematosus.J Rheumatol. 2023 Mar;50(3):459-460. doi:10.3899/jrheum.220373Fragoulis G, Paterson C, Gilmour A, et al.Neutropaenia in early rheumatoid arthritis: frequency, predicting factors, natural history and outcome.RMD Open. 2018;4(2):1-7. doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2018-000739Audia S, Grienay N, Mounier M, Michel M, Bonnotte B.Evans' syndrome: From diagnosis to treatment.J Clin Med. 2020 Nov;9(12):3851. doi:10.3390/jcm9123851BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of neutropenia.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Neutropenia.Donadieu J, Beaupain B, Fenneteau O, Bellanné-Chantelot C.Congenital neutropenia in the era of genomics: classification, diagnosis, and natural history.BJHaem. 2017 Nov;179(4):557-574. doi:10.1111/bjh.14887Curtis BR.Non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia: key points to manage the challenges.Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2017;2017(1):187-193. doi:10.1182/asheducation-2017.1.187National Cancer Institute.Pancytopenia.Dinan M, Hirsch B, Lyman G.Management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia: Measuring quality, cost, and value.JNCCN. 2015 Jan;13(1):1-7. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2015.0014Children’s Minnesota.Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT).Fioredda F, Iacobelli S, van Biezen A, et al.Stem cell transplantation in severe congenital neutropenia: an analysis from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.Blood. 2015;126(16):1885-1892. doi.10.1182/blood-2015-02-628859National Institute of Health.Normal blood values.Calabretto G, Teramo A, Barilà G, Vicenzetto C, Gasparini VR, Semenzato G, Zambello R.Neutropenia and large granular lymphocyte leukemia: from pathogenesis to therapeutic options.Cells.2021;10(10):2800. doi:10.3390/cells10102800
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.Understanding Blood Counts.
University of Rochester Medical Center.White blood cell count.
Rastogi S, Kalaiselvan V, Bin Jardan YA, Zameer S, Sarwat M.Comparative study of adverse drug reactions associated with filgrastim and pegfilgrastim using the EudraVigilance Database.Biology (Basel).2022;11(2):340. doi:10.3390/biology11020340
American Cancer Society.Neutropenia (Low White Blood Cell Counts).
Merck Manual.Neutropenia.
MedlinePlus.Low white blood cell count and cancer.
Gibson C, Berliner N.How we evaluate and treat neutropenia in adults.Blood. 2014 Aug;124(8):1251-1258. doi:10.1182/blood-2014-02-482612
Andrès E, Mourot-Cottet R, Maloisel F, et al.Idiosyncratic drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis.QJM. 2017 May;110(5):299-305. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcw220
Pick A, Nystrom K.Nonchemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis: Could medications be the culprit?.J Pharm Pract. 2014 Aug;27(5):447-452. doi:10.1177/0897190014546115
Meraj F, Muhammad Hanif H, Rahil Khan M, Mansoor N.Transient acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia associated with pediatric hodgkin lymphoma: A case report.Ped Hematol Oncol J. 2021 Dec;6(4):203-206. doi:10.1016/j.phoj.2021.09.001
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Aplastic anemia.
Alhammadi N, Gladman D, Su J, Urowitz M.Isolated neutropenia in systemic lupus erythematosus.J Rheumatol. 2023 Mar;50(3):459-460. doi:10.3899/jrheum.220373
Fragoulis G, Paterson C, Gilmour A, et al.Neutropaenia in early rheumatoid arthritis: frequency, predicting factors, natural history and outcome.RMD Open. 2018;4(2):1-7. doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2018-000739
Audia S, Grienay N, Mounier M, Michel M, Bonnotte B.Evans' syndrome: From diagnosis to treatment.J Clin Med. 2020 Nov;9(12):3851. doi:10.3390/jcm9123851
BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of neutropenia.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Neutropenia.
Donadieu J, Beaupain B, Fenneteau O, Bellanné-Chantelot C.Congenital neutropenia in the era of genomics: classification, diagnosis, and natural history.BJHaem. 2017 Nov;179(4):557-574. doi:10.1111/bjh.14887
Curtis BR.Non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia: key points to manage the challenges.Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2017;2017(1):187-193. doi:10.1182/asheducation-2017.1.187
National Cancer Institute.Pancytopenia.
Dinan M, Hirsch B, Lyman G.Management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia: Measuring quality, cost, and value.JNCCN. 2015 Jan;13(1):1-7. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2015.0014
Children’s Minnesota.Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT).
Fioredda F, Iacobelli S, van Biezen A, et al.Stem cell transplantation in severe congenital neutropenia: an analysis from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.Blood. 2015;126(16):1885-1892. doi.10.1182/blood-2015-02-628859
National Institute of Health.Normal blood values.
Calabretto G, Teramo A, Barilà G, Vicenzetto C, Gasparini VR, Semenzato G, Zambello R.Neutropenia and large granular lymphocyte leukemia: from pathogenesis to therapeutic options.Cells.2021;10(10):2800. doi:10.3390/cells10102800
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