Leukopenia

• Leukopenia is a low white blood cell count. WBCs are an important part of your immune system. They help your body fight off diseases and infections. If you have too few WBCs, you have a condition known as leukopenia.

  <5000uL males

  <4500uL females
• Causes of Leukopenia:

  ·       iron deficiency anemia

  ·       leukemia

  ·       lymphoma

  ·       multiple myeloma

  ·       myelodysplastic syndrome

  ·       myeloproliferative syndrome

  ·       Splenomegaly

  ·       Chemotherapy

  ·       Radiation therapy

  ·       Bone marrow transplants

  ·       Kostmann syndrome

  ·       HIV or AIDS

  ·       TB

  ·       Viral hepatitis

  ·       Malaria

  ·       Typhoid fever

  ·       Acute viral infections such as flu

  ·       Lupus

  ·       Rheumatoid arthritis

  ·       Sjögren’s syndrome

  ·       Sarcoidosis
• Deficiencies can cause leukopenia:

  ·       vitamin B12

  ·       folate

  ·       copper

  ·       zinc
• Medications can cause leukopenia:

  ·       bupropion (Wellbutrin)

  ·       carbimazole

  ·       clozapine (Clozaril)

  ·       cyclosporine (Sandimmune)

  ·       interferons

  ·       lamotrigine (Lamictal)

  ·       minocycline (Minocin)

  ·       mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept)

  ·       penicillin

  ·       sirolimus (Rapamune)

  ·       tacrolimus (Prograf)

  ·       valproic acid (Depakote)
• Risks of leukopenia:

  ·       Impaired healing

  ·       Infections

  ·       Cancer

  ·       needing to delay cancer treatment because of a mild infection

  ·       sepsis, a life threatening response by your body to an infection

  ·       septicemia, which is a serious bloodstream infection

  ·       recurrent or prolonged infections

  ·       premature death