Learn About Agranulocytosis
White blood cells fight infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other germs. One important type of white blood cell is the granulocyte, which is made in the bone marrow and travels in the blood throughout the body. Granulocytes sense infections, gather at sites of infection, and destroy the germs.
When the body has too few granulocytes, the condition is called agranulocytosis. This makes it harder for the body to fight off germs. As a result, the person may get sick from infections.
Granulocytopenia; Granulopenia; Neutropenia
Agranulocytosis may be caused by:
- Autoimmune disorders
- Bone marrow diseases, such as myelodysplasia or large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia
- Certain medicines used to treat diseases, including cancer
- Certain street drugs
- Poor nutrition
- Preparation for bone marrow transplant
- Benign familial neutropenia
- Genetic variants, especially in people of certain African and Caribbean ethnicities
Symptoms of this condition may include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Malaise
- General weakness
- Sore throat
- Mouth and throat ulcers
- Bone pain
- Pneumonia
- Shock
Treatment depends on the cause of the low white blood cell count. For example, if a medicine is the cause, stopping or changing to another medicine may help. In other cases, medicines to help the body make more white blood cells will be used. If the cause is due to normal genes, no treatment is required.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Gary Lyman is a Hematologist in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Lyman is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Agranulocytosis. His top areas of expertise are Febrile Neutropenia, Agranulocytosis, Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), and Breast Cancer.
Matti Aapro practices in Genolier, Switzerland. Aapro is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Agranulocytosis. Their top areas of expertise are Febrile Neutropenia, Agranulocytosis, Breast Cancer, and HER2 Negative Breast Cancer.
City Of Hope Medical Foundation
Hope Rugo is a Hematologist and an Oncologist in Duarte, California. Dr. Rugo is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Agranulocytosis. Her top areas of expertise are Breast Cancer, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Agranulocytosis, Bone Marrow Aspiration, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Treating or removing the cause often results in a good outcome.
If you are having treatment or taking medicine that could cause agranulocytosis, your health care provider will use blood tests to monitor you.
Summary: This is a single-arm pilot clinical trial evaluating dalbavancin-based prophylaxis in children and adolescents with acute myeloid leukemia or relapsed lymphoblastic leukemia receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Primary objective: \- To estimate the rate of bacterial bloodstream infection in pediatric patients with AML or relapsed ALL undergoing chemotherapy receiving dalbavancin-based prophyla...
Summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a personalized duration of antibiotic therapy, based on clinical stability, is as effective as a standard duration of at least 10 days in hospitalized patients with hematologic malignancies (such as leukemia or lymphoma) who develop febrile neutropenia and Gram-negative bacteraemia. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can a personalized antibi...
Published Date: June 17, 2024
Published By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Berliner N. Leukocytosis and leukopenia. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 153.
Klokkevold PR, Mealey BL, Hernandez-Kapila YL. Influence of systemic conditions on the periodontium. In: Newman MG, Klokkevold PR, Elangovan S, Hernandez-Kapila YL, eds. Newman and Carranza's Clinical Periodontology and Implantology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 25.
Murphy MF, Pasi KJ, Roy N. Haematology. In: Feather A, Randall D, Waterhouse M, eds. Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 16.
Rice L, Zieske AW, Jung M. Neutrophilic leukocytosis, neutropenia, monocytosis, and monocytopenia. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 49.