What is the medical condition called when there are too few neutrophils?

• A. Leukocytosis
• B. Anemia
• C. Thrombocytopenia
• D. Neutropenia

Answer: (D)

Having too few neutrophils is called neutropenia. Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells and act as the first line of defense against bacterial infections. When their numbers are low, the body’s ability to fight off infections diminishes, so infections can develop more easily and be more severe. The other terms describe different problems: leukocytosis means too many white blood cells, anemia means too few red blood cells or low hemoglobin, and thrombocytopenia means too few platelets. Neutropenia can arise from chemotherapy, bone marrow disorders, certain medications, autoimmune diseases, nutritional deficiencies, or severe infections, and doctors monitor the absolute neutrophil count to assess infection risk and severity.