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Infectious etiologies of transient neutropenia in previously healthy children

Entesar H Husain1, Ali Mullah-Ali, Sondus Al-Sharidah

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait. ehusain@hsc.edu.kw

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|March 15, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Infectious causes were identified in 55% of children with neutropenia, primarily viral infections. Most children recovered fully within a month without serious complications.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Neutropenia in healthy children often leads to unnecessary hospitalization and antibiotic treatment.
  • Identifying infectious etiologies is crucial for appropriate management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the infectious causes of isolated transient neutropenia in previously healthy children.
  • To determine the recovery time and complications associated with neutropenia in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 55 children (1 month to 12 years) with neutropenia (ANC ≤ 1.5 × 10/L) in Kuwait.
  • Infectious workup included bacterial cultures and viral serology/PCR for Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, parvovirus, human herpesvirus 6, and enterovirus.

Main Results:

  • Viral infections were identified in 55% of cases, with human herpesvirus 6 (30%) and enterovirus (23%) being most common.
  • Younger children (<2 years) comprised 73% of the cohort, with presentation peaks in spring and autumn.
  • No serious bacterial infections were found; median absolute neutrophil count (ANC) recovery was 16.7 days.

Conclusions:

  • Demonstrable infections cause neutropenia in over half of previously healthy children in Kuwait.
  • The majority of children experience complete ANC recovery within one month, typically without significant complications.
Abstract

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