Leukopenia 1

Leukopenia
Leukopenia
Classification and external resources

ICD-10 [1]
D 70.

ICD-9 [2]
288.50

DiseasesDB [3]
32396

MeSH [4]
D007970

Leukopenia (also known as leukocytopenia, or leucopenia, from Greek λευκό-white and πενία-deficiency) is a
decrease in the number of white blood cells (leukocytes) found in the blood, which places individuals at increased
risk of infection.
Neutropenia is a sub-type of leukopenia that refers to a decrease in the number of circulating neutrophil
granulocytes, the most abundant white blood cells. The terms leukopenia and neutropenia may occasionally be
used interchangeably, as the neutrophil count is the most important indicator of infection risk.

Causes
Low white cell counts are associated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, leukemia (as malignant cells overwhelm
the bone marrow), myelofibrosis and aplastic anemia (failure of white and red cell creation, along with poor platelet
production). In addition, many common medications can cause leukopenia (see below). HIV and AIDS are also a
threat to white cells.
Other causes of low white blood cell count include: Influenza, systemic lupus erythematosus, Hodgkin's lymphoma,
some types of cancer, typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis, dengue, Rickettsial infections, enlargement of the spleen, folate
deficiencies, psittacosis and sepsis. Many other causes exist, such as a deficiency in certain minerals such as copper
and zinc.
Pseudoleukopenia can develop upon the onset of infection. The leukocytes (predominately neutrophils, responding to
injury first) are marginalized in the blood vessels so that they can scan for the site of infection. This means that even
though there is increased WBC production, it will appear as though it is low from a blood sample, since the blood
sample is of core blood and does not include the marginalized leukocytes.

Medications causing leukopenia

Some medications can have an impact on the number and function of white blood cells. Medications which can
cause leukopenia include clozapine, an antipsychotic medication with a rare adverse effect leading to the total
absence of all granulocytes (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils). Other medications include immunosuppressive
drugs, such as sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus, and cyclosporine. Interferons used to treat multiple
sclerosis, like Rebif, Avonex, and Betaseron, can also cause leukopenia. The antidepressant and smoking addiction
treatment drug Wellbutrin (Bupropion HCL) can also cause leukopenia with long-term use. Minocycline, a
commonly prescribed antibiotic, is another drug known to cause leukopenia.
There are also reports of leukopenia caused by Depakote (divalproex sodium or valproic acid), a drug used for
epilepsy (seizures), mania (with bipolar disorder) and migraine. Increased white blood cell count may be present in
cases of arsenic toxicity[5] .
The anticonvulsant drug, Lamotrigine, has been associated with a decrease in white blood cell count.[6]
Leukopenia 2

Diagnosis
Leukopenia can be identified with a complete blood count.[7]
Below are blood reference ranges for various types leucocytes/WBCs.[8] The 2.5 percentile (right limits in intervals
in image, showing 95% prediction intervals) is a common limit for defining leukocytosis.

External links
• 1355808838 [9] at GPnotebook
• 11-135a. [10] at Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Professional Edition
• http://doublecheckmd.com/EffectsDetail.do?dname=buPROPion&sid=12112&eid=2237#relse

References
[1] http:/ / apps. who. int/ classifications/ apps/ icd/ icd10online/ ?gd70. htm+ d70
[2] http:/ / www. icd9data. com/ getICD9Code. ashx?icd9=288. 50
[3] http:/ / www. diseasesdatabase. com/ ddb32396. htm
[4] http:/ / www. nlm. nih. gov/ cgi/ mesh/ 2010/ MB_cgi?field=uid& term=D007970
[5] http:/ / toxsci. oxfordjournals. org/ cgi/ content/ full/ 103/ 2/ 278
[6] Nicholson, R J; Kelly, K P; Grant, I S (25 February 1995). "Leucopenia associated with lamotrigine" (http:/ / www. bmj. com/ cgi/ content/
full/ 310/ 6978/ 504/ b). BMJ. . Retrieved 16 June 2010.
[7] http:/ / ibdcrohns. about. com/ od/ diagnostictesting/ p/ testwbc. htm
[8] Specific references are found in article Reference_ranges_for_blood_tests#White_blood_cells_2.
[9] http:/ / www. gpnotebook. co. uk/ simplepage. cfm?ID=1355808838
[10] http:/ / www. merck. com/ mmpe/ sec11/ ch135/ ch135a. html
Article Sources and Contributors 3

Article Sources and Contributors

Leukopenia  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=385935578  Contributors: Alchemagenta, AnOddName, Arcadian, Avg, Big Bird, CDN99, Captaindan, Ciroa, Horsten,
Immunize, Jetman, Jfdwolff, Kstahhh04, Kubra, MichaK, Mikael Häggström, NCurse, NEURO207, Nunh-huh, Peterl, Pigman, Polacrilex, Sbmehta, Shadowjams, Stedder, ThinkEnemies,
Travelbird, Visviva, Vogon77, WLU, 50 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:Reference ranges for blood tests - white blood cells.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Reference_ranges_for_blood_tests_-_white_blood_cells.png  License:
Public Domain  Contributors: User:Mikael Häggström

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/