Autoimmune neutropenia following peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

The differential diagnosis of unexpected neutropenia following bone marrow transplantation includes several potentially life-threatening complications including graft rejection, overwhelming infection, relapse of the underlying neoplasm, and intrinsic graft failure. However, a number of recent reports document that the differential diagnosis also includes autoimmune neutropenia, which, although potentially life-threatening, often responds well to corticosteroids or splenectomy. Autoimmune neutropenia has been reported following both autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Herein we report a 31-year-old woman who developed a rapidly falling neutrophil count 11 days following peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A laboratory evaluation supported a diagnosis of autoimmune neutropenia, and the neutropenia resolved following treatment with steroids and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.