What are the dangers of leukopenia?

Written by Tang Zhuo
Endocrinology
Updated on September 27, 2024
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Leukopenia is a relatively common hematological disease that can occur at any age. It is characterized by a persistent peripheral blood white blood cell count below 4×10^9/L. The onset of the disease is mostly slow, with mild symptoms. Common symptoms include fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, and pharyngitis, making individuals more susceptible to pharyngitis or mucosal ulceration. Other symptoms include reduced appetite, limb soreness, insomnia, and frequent dreaming. Individuals with leukopenia are also more prone to viral and bacterial infections. Some infections can lead to severe symptoms such as high fever, chills, and body aches. However, if there is a significant decrease in the total number of white blood cells, with the absolute neutrophil count dropping below 0.5×10^9/L, this condition is referred to as neutropenia. In such cases, symptoms may include chills, high fever, sore throat, headache, joint pain, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death.

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Written by Tang Zhuo
Endocrinology
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What are the dangers of leukopenia?

Leukopenia is a relatively common hematological disease that can occur at any age. It is characterized by a persistent peripheral blood white blood cell count below 4×10^9/L. The onset of the disease is mostly slow, with mild symptoms. Common symptoms include fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, and pharyngitis, making individuals more susceptible to pharyngitis or mucosal ulceration. Other symptoms include reduced appetite, limb soreness, insomnia, and frequent dreaming. Individuals with leukopenia are also more prone to viral and bacterial infections. Some infections can lead to severe symptoms such as high fever, chills, and body aches. However, if there is a significant decrease in the total number of white blood cells, with the absolute neutrophil count dropping below 0.5×10^9/L, this condition is referred to as neutropenia. In such cases, symptoms may include chills, high fever, sore throat, headache, joint pain, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death.

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Written by Zhang Jun Jun
Endocrinology
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What does a decrease in white blood cells mean?

Leukopenia indicates a decrease in the body's resistance. The most common causes of leukopenia are: First, viral infections, which often coincide with an increase in lymphocytes and a decrease in neutrophils. The second cause is severe bacterial infections. During severe bacterial infections, there is a significant reduction in white blood cells, which may even lead to a decrease in platelets. The third cause is primarily diseases of the hematologic system, where leukopenia is often accompanied by a reduction in other red blood cells and platelets. Other possible causes include drug-induced leukopenia, as medications can also lead to a decrease in white blood cells. Therefore, the primary approach to leukopenia is to clearly identify the cause, and then determine the next steps for treatment based on that cause.

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Written by Liu Lei
Endocrinology
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What causes leukopenia?

Leukopenia mainly has the following three causes: 1) Drugs; 2) Infections; 3) Diseases that cause disturbances in white blood cell production. Drugs primarily include antibiotics such as sulfonamide antibiotics and penicillin; anti-tuberculosis drugs like rifampicin and isoniazid; anti-thyroid drugs such as methimazole and propylthiouracil; antipyretic analgesics like aminopyrine, indomethacin, and ibuprofen; and antihistamines such as diphenhydramine. Additionally, most chemotherapy drugs can cause a decrease in white blood cells. Viral infections can lead to a decrease in white blood cells or severe bacterial infections, such as sepsis and septicemia, along with some chronic infections. Diseases that cause disturbances in the production of white blood cells mainly refer to certain hematological diseases, such as aplastic anemia or malignant tumors that invade the bone marrow and affect hematopoiesis. Furthermore, there are some less common causes of leukopenia, such as familial inheritance and granulocyte distribution disorders.

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Written by Tang Zhuo
Endocrinology
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What causes leukopenia?

When the white blood cell count in the surrounding blood continuously remains below 4.0*10^9/L, we call this condition leukopenia. Typical symptoms of leukopenia include dizziness, fatigue, limb soreness, reduced appetite, and listlessness, although some patients may not exhibit any obvious clinical symptoms. The causes of leukopenia are very complex and can be classified into two main categories: primary and secondary. Primary leukopenia refers to cases where the cause is unknown, while secondary leukopenia refers to cases potentially caused by acute infections or physical and chemical factors, or diseases of the hematopoietic system, connective tissue diseases, allergic diseases, or genetic diseases, all of which may lead to a reduction in white blood cells.

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Written by Yang Li
Endocrinology
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Why does pneumonia cause a decrease in white blood cells?

When the severity of pneumonia is very severe, there can also be a decrease in white blood cells, which often suggests a higher possibility of severe pneumonia. Additionally, another scenario is viral pneumonia, where a decrease in white blood cells can also occur due to viral infections. Furthermore, there are special cases of infection, such as tuberculosis or infections caused by Mycoplasma or Chlamydia, where the use of anti-infection medications might also lead to a decrease in white blood cells. Another situation is when a patient inherently has a low white blood cell count, leading to weakened immunity and subsequently contracting pneumonia. In such cases, white blood cell counts might also not be high. Hence, severe bacterial pneumonia and decreases in white blood cells are relatively common in viral infections.