Neutropenia associated with cefotaxime

Neutropenia is rarely associated with cephalosporins. We report a case of neutropenia associated with cefotaxime. A seven-year-old boy was admitted to the Chidoribashi Hospital with suspected septicemia. Cefotaxime 2 g/d was started. On day 18, neutropenia associated with cefotaxime was suspected. On day 22, the patient was transferred to Fukuoka Children's Hospital because of continuing neutropenia and eosinophilia. In Fukuoka Children's Hospital, bone marrow puncture revealed severe bone marrow depression. After one month, the patient was discharged. When we considered case reports of granulocytopenia, leukopenia, and agranulocytosis associated with cephalosporins, we found two types of leukopenia. One is the granulocytopenic type and the other is the neutropenic type. In diagnosing leukopenia due to cephalosporins, an increased percentage of eosinophils in white-blood-cell analysis is significant.