CYCLIC NEUTROPENIA

Cyclic neutropenia, or periodic neutropenia as Reimann has recently termed it, is a rare hematological disorder of unknown etiology and is characterized by severe neutropenia or agranulocytosis recurring at approximately 21 day intervals. The neutropenic phase, which lasts for from five to eight days, is usually accompanied by mild fever and localized, superficial infections of the skin or mucous membranes. Sometimes the infection is so severe that it simulates acute agranulocytosis, while, at other times, infection may be minimal or even absent. These symptoms always subside as the neutrophils rise to normal levels during the recovery periods. This sequence of events continues for years without impairing the general health of the person. Accurate recognition of this type of neutropenia is of great importance because it implies a favorable prognosis and because the disorder must be differentiated from acute and chronic types of neutropenia, both idiopathic and secondary, in which a