Leukopenia - a decrease in the number of leukocytes in peripheral blood below 4x10 / l. This condition is not a physiological variant of the norm and is always a manifestation of serious pathological changes in the body. Leukopenia occurs in a number of diseases of viral and bacterial etiology. Leukopenia is most often possible, the causes of which are typhoid fever, brucellosis, viral hepatitis, visceral leishmaniasis, miliary tuberculosis, prolonged septic myocarditis. That is, it can be both acute and chronic infections.
Acute infectious diseases can be diagnosed based on an increase in body temperature, typical clinical data from laboratory studies. Leukopenia, the causes of which is malaria and tick-borne spirochetosis, can occur periodically and is observed during an attack of the disease simultaneously with the development of neutropenia and lymphopenia. During the out-of-contact period, relative lymphocytosis, as well as monocytosis , is observed.
In acute and chronic inflammatory, including purulent-septic diseases, the development of leukopenia is an important indicator of the decreased reactivity of the body's immune system, especially in elderly and malnourished patients. Persistent leukopenia is often found in nutritional dystrophy, a number of diffuse collagenoses, which include systemic lupus erythematosus, periarteritis nodosa and Felty's syndrome. One of the most serious diseases of connective tissue is systemic lupus erythematosus. It can be diagnosed based on symptoms such as dermatitis, polyserositis, arthritis, polyarthralgia, a persistent increase in body temperature, a sharp increase in ESR, the presence of specific lupus or lupus cells in the peripheral blood, and a high titer of antinuclear antibodies. Felty's syndrome is manifested by joint damage, fever, enlarged spleen and lymph nodes, as well as symptoms of anemia, an increase in ESR, a high level of rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibodies.
With moderate anemia and thrombocytopenia, leukopenia is also possible. The causes of this condition are often associated with splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), which is most often found in cirrhosis.
Leukopenia accompanies a variety of diseases of the blood system. Such diseases can be anemia and leukemia. Most often, leukopenia occurs, the causes of which are associated with acute leukemia, Addison-Birmer anemia, as well as with hypoplastic conditions and aplastic anemia. The diagnosis of acute leukemia is established on the basis of the anemic, purulent-septic and hemorrhagic syndromes accompanying this serious disease , as well as studies of bone marrow punctate and dynamic changes in the blood test.
Leukopenia is frequent with diseases of the endocrine system - thyrotoxicosis, acromegaly, adrenal insufficiency. It is also possible with chronic inflammation in the cavity organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
Leiopenia often occurs as a reaction of the body to chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. The use of chemotherapeutic drugs has an inhibitory effect on all organs and systems of the body. After the end of the course of treatment, leukopenia, which occurred during chemotherapy, gradually disappears. Over time, the number of white blood cells in the blood is slowly restored to normal.
We examined the main reasons for the development of a decrease in the level of white blood cells in the blood. Whatever disease leukopenia is associated with, the consequences of this condition are a sharp decrease in the body's defenses. As a result of this, with leukopenia, various infectious septic diseases often join, significantly complicating the course of the underlying disease.