Difference Between Leukopenia and Neutropenia

Key Difference – Leukopeniavs Neutropenia

White blood cellscan be considered as the guardian cells of our body. They protect us from the countless number ofpathogenstrying to get settled inside the body even in this very second. Thus a decrease in their number can make the body extremely vulnerable to the microbial infections. Such decrease in the white cell count is known as leukopenia.Neutrophilsare one variety of white cells that predominantly act againstbacterial infections. A decrease in their number is called neutropenia. Therefore,neutropenia is one variety of leukopenia.This is thekey differencebetween the two terms.

CONTENTS

1.Overview and Key Difference
2.What is Leukopenia
3.What is Neutropenia
4.Similarities Between Leukopenia and Neutropenia
5.Side by Side Comparison – Leukopenia vs Neutropenia in Tabular Form
6.Summary

What is Leukopenia?

The presence of an abnormally low white cell count is known as leukopenia. Leukopenia can either be due to a reduction in the neutrophil count or thelymphocyte count.

Causes

• Congenital immunodeficiencies
• HIV
• Malnutrition
• Therapy withglucocorticoidsor cytotoxic drugs
• Autoimmune disorders
• Acuteviral infections– here the reduction is due to a redistribution oflymphocytesrather than an actual decrease in the lymphocyte count.

What is Neutropenia?

An abnormal reduction in the neutrophil count is termed as neutropenia. A significant decrease in the number of neutrophils making the patient susceptible to get fungal and bacterial infections is known as agranulocytosis.

Pathogenesis

Neutropenia can be due to main two mechanisms

• Inadequate granulopoiesis that occurs in the following instances
• Suppression of hemopoietic cells
• Suppression of committed granulocytic precursors
• Megaloblastic anemia and other dysplastic syndromes
• Congenital diseases such as Kostmann syndrome
• Accelerated destruction or sequestration of neutrophils
• Immune-mediated injuries to neutrophils
• Splenomegaly
• Increased peripheral utilization in severe infections

Neutropenia and agranulocytosis are most commonly due to drug toxicity. Different drugs such as chlorpromazine and phenothiazines can cause neutropenia. Sulfonamides have the potential to cause agranulocytosis.

Clinical features of neutropenia are related to the ongoing infection. With agranulocytosis, the patient can die within few hours due to an overwhelming infection.

What is the Similarity Between Leukopenia and Neutropenia?

• 白血球下降在这两个条件ns

白血球减少症和中性粒细胞的区别是什么ropenia?

Leukopenia vs Neutropenia
The presence of an abnormally low white cell count is known as leukopenia.	An abnormal reduction in the neutrophil count is termed as neutropenia.

Summary – Leukopeniavs Neutropenia

A decrease in the total number of white blood cells is known as leukopenia whereas a decrease in the number of neutrophils is known as neutropenia. Since the neutrophil count is also included in the total white cell count neutropenia is a subcategory of leukopenia. This is the difference between leukopenia and neutropenia.

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Reference:

1.Kumar, Vinay, Stanley Leonard Robbins, Ramzi S. Cotran, Abul K. Abbas, and Nelson Fausto. Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Saunders, 2010. Print.

Image Courtesy:

1.’Neutropenia’By Roberto J. Galindo – Own Work(CC BY-SA 3.0)viaCommons Wikimedia