Clinical spectrum of pediatric neutropenia: mostly benign, but not to be overlooked

Background. Neutropenia is a common laboratory finding in children, therefore it is a common referral reason to pediatric hematology units. This study hypothesizes that most neutropenic children do not require pediatric hematology consultation, and that key clinical indicators can guide the need for referral. Methods. Medical records of 180 patients who were admitted to a tertiary reference center, were evaluated in terms of demographical data, physical examination findings, laboratory findings, and outcome measures. The patients enrolled in the study had newly diagnosed or incidental neutropenia and did not meet the criteria for chronic neutropenia. Neutropenia was classified based on absolute neutrophil count (ANC) as follows: mild (1000–1499/mm³), moderate (500–999/mm³), severe (200–499/mm³), and very severe (