Neutropenia internet search

Neutropenia (noo-tro-PE-ne-uh) is an abnormally low count of neutrophils, white blood cells that protect your body from bacteria and fungi. You have several types of white blood cells, and between 45 and 70 percent of all white blood cells are neutrophils.

The threshold for defining neutropenia varies slightly from one medical practice to another. Neutropenia in adults is generally defined as a count of 1,700 or fewer neutrophils per microliter of blood. The cell count indicating neutropenia in children varies with age.

The lower your neutrophil count, the more vulnerable you are to infectious diseases. If you have severe neutropenia — fewer than about 500 cells per microliter of blood — bacteria normally present in your mouth and digestive tract can cause infections.

Neutropenia may be caused by:

• Congenital disorders characterized by poor bone marrow function (Note: Henry's bone marrow test came out fine.)
  
• Cancer or other diseases that damage bone marrow (?)
  
• Viral infections that disrupt bone marrow function (?)
  
• Autoimmune disorders that destroy neutrophils or bone marrow cells (Note: Henry has no immunodeficiencies involving B cells. The T cells have yet to be tested.)
  
• Overwhelming infections that use up neutrophils faster than they can be produced (?)
  
• Drugs that destroy neutrophils or damage bone marrow (Note: None taken.)
  

Possible causes of neutropenia include:

• Aplastic anemia (probably not, issues with red blood cells)
  
• Bone marrow transplant (hasn't had one)
  
• Chemotherapy (never had chemo)
  
• Drugs, such as antibiotics and diuretics (ding! has taken antibiotics)
• Histoplasmosis (doubtful - mainly affects the lungs)
• HIV/AIDS (I don't have it. D doesn't have it. And Henry hasn't had sex, used dirty needles or had a blood transfusion.)
• Hypersplenism, a premature destruction of blood cells by the spleen (ding! perhaps this one?)
  
• Kostmann syndrome, a congenital disorder involving low neutrophil production (shit. I hope it's not this one)
  
• Leukemia (tested negative for both AML and ALL)
• Lupus (?)
  
• Malaria (not likely)
  
• Mononucleosis (Henry hasn't kissed anyone yet)
  
• Myelodysplastic syndromes (mainly concerned with red blood cells, doesn't seem to fit Henry's symptoms)
  
• Myelofibrosis (probably not. usually affects old people, disrupts bone marrow production)
  
• Myelokathexis, a congenital disorder involving failure of neutrophils to enter the bloodstream (Um, if Henry has this, he'll be the fifth person on the books diagnosed with it. Number five.)
  
• Other autoimmune disorders (Need to check those T cells)
  
• Other congenital disorders (?)
  
• Other infectious diseases (?)
  
• Other parasitic diseases (?)
  
• Radiation therapy (Henry's never had any)
• Rheumatoid arthritis (Isn't Henry too young for arthritis?)
• Tuberculosis (I hope not)
  
• Vitamin deficiencies (ding! test for this one)
  

To date Henry has been tested for:
Leukemia (ALL and AML)
Celiac disease
Cystic Fibrosis
Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome

Henry is currently being tested for:
Cyclic Neutropenia
Fanconi Anemia

Just a few of the questions I plan to annoy the doctor with:

1. Does Henry's bone marrow and blood show other abnormalities (including maturational arrest of neutrophil precursors at the promyelocyte stage, absolute monocytosis, eosinophilia and thrombocytosis)? (Kostmann)
2. Does Henry have an enlarged spleen?
3. Has Henry been tested for vitamin deficiencies?
4. Are there other forms of leukemia/cancer that might fit Henry's symptoms?