Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsTypesCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Types
Causes
Treatment
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Neutropeniais a condition in which the number ofneutrophilsin the blood is lower than normal.Neutrophilsare the most common type of white blood cell. They help protect the body against infections.
A deficiency in the number of neutrophils can occur due to bone marrow disease, cancer, and hereditary conditions. Or, it can be an effect of medications or common cancer treatments. Neutropenia increases the risk and severity of infections.
This article will discuss the symptoms that may occur due to underlying conditions or complications of neutropenia, possible causes, tests, and treatment.
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Symptoms of Conditions Associated With Neutropenia
Neutrophils help fight bacterial and fungal infections, as well as healing from injuries and illnesses. Depending on the cause and severity of neutropenia, there can be an increased potential for infections.
The symptoms that may accompany neutropenia occur because of infections and impaired healing or from the underlying cause of neutropenia.
Common symptoms include:
Severe infections can cause shortness of breath or changes in consciousness and may require hospitalization.
If you have neutropenia, you may also experience symptoms associated with the cause of a low neutrophil count. For example, if your neutropenia is a side effect of chemotherapy medications, you may also have hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and bruises.
Types of Neutropenia
Neutropenia can be hereditary, due to a genetic defect in neutrophil production, or it can be acquired.
Causes of Neutropenia
Common causes include medications, radiation therapy, cancer, bone marrow disease, and infections.
In general, when an infection causes neutropenia, it’s a temporary problem due to the body’s consumption of neutrophils. After a mild to moderate infection resolves, the neutrophils should return to a normal amount.
Neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow. Bone marrow disorders, includingaplastic anemiaandmyelodysplastic syndrome, can cause neutropenia. Some types of cancer can invade the bone marrow, preventing the normal production of neutrophils. Blood cancers may cause an excess of some blood cells and a deficiency of others.
Additionally, autoimmune diseases, which are generally associated with excess immune system activity, can cause a low number of neutrophils in the blood.
What Medications Can Cause Neutropenia?
Many different medications can cause neutropenia, especially chemotherapeutic medications, which are used to treat cancer. However, other medications can also cause neutropenia.
A sample of the medications that can cause neutropenia include:
Radiation therapy can also sometimes cause neutropenia.
ChemotherapyChemotherapeutics usually cause neutropenia. But the extent of neutropenia isn’t the same for every chemotherapy medication or every person, and it can range from mild to severe.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapeutics usually cause neutropenia. But the extent of neutropenia isn’t the same for every chemotherapy medication or every person, and it can range from mild to severe.
How to Treat Neutropenia
Neutropenia can often resolve within a few days or weeks if the cause is resolved. The complications of neutropenia usually have to be treated, and sometimes neutropenia can be treated too.
Treatment for neutropenia can include stopping and potentially replacing any medication causing it, if possible. Sometimes the medication can’t be stopped or replaced if it is necessary for treating cancer or another serious medical condition.
Medications are sometimes prescribed to promote white blood cell production in the bone marrow. Examples include Neupogen (filgrastim), Granix (tbo-filgrastim), Neulasta (pegfilgrastim), and Ryzneuta (efbemalenograstim alfa-vuxw).
Infections that occur due to neutropenia may need treatment with antibiotics, draining of an abscess, or surgery. In addition, symptomatic supportive treatment, such as oxygen supplementation for a severe lung infection, may be necessary.
Preventing Complications of Neutropenia
If you have neutropenia, it’s important that you try to avoid infections. This means takingprecautionsyou might not otherwise need to take if your neutrophil count was normal.
Precautions include:
These precautions are important for keeping your risk of infection as low as possible while you are neutropenic.
An Overview of the Neutropenic Diet
Are There Tests that Can Diagnose the Cause of Neutropenia?
Neutropenia is diagnosed with acomplete blood count(CBC), which is a standard blood test. A CBC will identify the number and percent of different types of blood cells in the blood sample.
The pattern of these changes helps differentiate the underlying cause of neutropenia. Often, neutropenia causes leukopenia (a low total white blood cell count) because neutrophils are usually the most prevalent type of white blood cell.
Sometimes neutropenia can occur with a normal or increased total white cell count if other white blood cells are abnormally high due to disease, cancer, or infection.
Neutrophil countnormally falls within a standard range.
Because neutrophils can fluctuate, a healthcare provider may decide that serial testing may be needed if your neutrophil count is decreased.
If you have a known risk of neutropenia or are recovering from neutropenia, you might have regularly scheduled surveillance with CBC blood tests to see if your neutrophil count is low and if you need treatment.
Some tests can help determine the cause of neutropenia if it isn’t already known. Examples of tests that you might need if you have neutropenia, especially if there is not a known cause:
Neutrophils normally compose approximately 40% of your white blood cells.
Leukopenia vs. Neutropenia: What Are the Differences?
You should see a healthcare provider if you develop signs of a severe infection.
These include:
If you are severely immunocompromised (have a severely weakened immune system), you should talk to your healthcare provider about which signs of infection warrant urgent medical attention.
Summary
Neutropenia, a low number of neutrophils, can be a medication side effect or can occur during and briefly after an infection. Blood cancers, cancer metastasis to the bone marrow, and bone marrow disease can also cause it. Depending on the cause and severity, neutropenia may increase the risk of infection.
A Word From Verywell
Finding out that you have neutropenia can be stressful. In addition to the risks and health complications associated with neutropenia, you may also be dealing with a new diagnosis and other symptoms and treatment decisions related to your underlying condition.
It can seem like an overwhelming task, but make sure you get enough rest, eat healthy, stay active, and manage your stress—these things can help reduce your risk of infection and illness as you recover from neutropenia.
Frequently Asked QuestionsMany different factors can cause neutropenia, including medications, bone marrow disease, cancer, severe illness, and radiation therapy.Neutropenia doesn’t always cause symptoms, and it is more likely to cause noticeable problems if it is severe or prolonged.You should take extra precautions to avoid infections and injuries if you have neutropenia. This includes avoiding situations where you could be exposed to infections, even if these situations would be safe without neutropenia.
Many different factors can cause neutropenia, including medications, bone marrow disease, cancer, severe illness, and radiation therapy.
Neutropenia doesn’t always cause symptoms, and it is more likely to cause noticeable problems if it is severe or prolonged.
You should take extra precautions to avoid infections and injuries if you have neutropenia. This includes avoiding situations where you could be exposed to infections, even if these situations would be safe without neutropenia.
6 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.Family Practice Notebook.Neutropenic fever.Horwitz MS, Corey SJ, Grimes HL, Tidwell T.ELANE mutations in cyclic and severe congenital neutropenia: genetics and pathophysiology.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2013;27(1):19-41,vii. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2012.10.004Atallah-Yunes SA, Ready A, Newburger PE.Benign ethnic neutropenia.Blood Rev. 2019;37:100586. doi:10.1016/j.blre.2019.06.003Curtis BR.Drug-induced immune neutropenia/agranulocytosis.Immunohematology. 2014;30(2):95-101.American Cancer Society.Low white blood cells (neutropenia)Johannsen CF, Petersen TS, Nielsen J, Jørgensen A, Jimenez-Solem E, Fink-Jensen A.Clozapine- and non-clozapine-associated neutropenia in patients with schizophrenia: a retrospective cohort study.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol.2022;12:204512532110723. doi:10.1177/20451253211072341
6 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.Family Practice Notebook.Neutropenic fever.Horwitz MS, Corey SJ, Grimes HL, Tidwell T.ELANE mutations in cyclic and severe congenital neutropenia: genetics and pathophysiology.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2013;27(1):19-41,vii. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2012.10.004Atallah-Yunes SA, Ready A, Newburger PE.Benign ethnic neutropenia.Blood Rev. 2019;37:100586. doi:10.1016/j.blre.2019.06.003Curtis BR.Drug-induced immune neutropenia/agranulocytosis.Immunohematology. 2014;30(2):95-101.American Cancer Society.Low white blood cells (neutropenia)Johannsen CF, Petersen TS, Nielsen J, Jørgensen A, Jimenez-Solem E, Fink-Jensen A.Clozapine- and non-clozapine-associated neutropenia in patients with schizophrenia: a retrospective cohort study.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol.2022;12:204512532110723. doi:10.1177/20451253211072341
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.
Family Practice Notebook.Neutropenic fever.Horwitz MS, Corey SJ, Grimes HL, Tidwell T.ELANE mutations in cyclic and severe congenital neutropenia: genetics and pathophysiology.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2013;27(1):19-41,vii. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2012.10.004Atallah-Yunes SA, Ready A, Newburger PE.Benign ethnic neutropenia.Blood Rev. 2019;37:100586. doi:10.1016/j.blre.2019.06.003Curtis BR.Drug-induced immune neutropenia/agranulocytosis.Immunohematology. 2014;30(2):95-101.American Cancer Society.Low white blood cells (neutropenia)Johannsen CF, Petersen TS, Nielsen J, Jørgensen A, Jimenez-Solem E, Fink-Jensen A.Clozapine- and non-clozapine-associated neutropenia in patients with schizophrenia: a retrospective cohort study.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol.2022;12:204512532110723. doi:10.1177/20451253211072341
Family Practice Notebook.Neutropenic fever.
Horwitz MS, Corey SJ, Grimes HL, Tidwell T.ELANE mutations in cyclic and severe congenital neutropenia: genetics and pathophysiology.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2013;27(1):19-41,vii. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2012.10.004
Atallah-Yunes SA, Ready A, Newburger PE.Benign ethnic neutropenia.Blood Rev. 2019;37:100586. doi:10.1016/j.blre.2019.06.003
Curtis BR.Drug-induced immune neutropenia/agranulocytosis.Immunohematology. 2014;30(2):95-101.
American Cancer Society.Low white blood cells (neutropenia)
Johannsen CF, Petersen TS, Nielsen J, Jørgensen A, Jimenez-Solem E, Fink-Jensen A.Clozapine- and non-clozapine-associated neutropenia in patients with schizophrenia: a retrospective cohort study.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol.2022;12:204512532110723. doi:10.1177/20451253211072341
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