Neutropenias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A medical condition characterized by an abnormally low level of neutrophils, leading to increased risk of infections
2. This condition reflects a reduction in white blood cells that combat infections, making one more susceptible to illnesses
3. It denotes a decrease in neutrophils in the bloodstream, which can result from various diseases or treatments affecting the immune system

Etymology: Neutropenia is a medical coinage, not an ancient term. It was formed in the late nineteenth century from "neutro-", a clipped form of "neutrophil", plus the Greek-derived suffix "-penia", meaning "lack" or "deficiency", as in "leukopenia" (a shortage of white blood cells in general). The "neutro" element refers to neutrophils, the white cells that stain neutrally with standard laboratory dyes, which is why they were given a name meaning "neutral-loving." The "-penia" ending comes from Greek "penia", "poverty" or "want," a sense that survives in the medical sense of "lack of." The plural "neutropenias" is the form used when referring to several distinct conditions or cases of the disorder, such as inherited forms and drug-induced forms, each with its own cause. The singular "neutropenia" names the general state of having too few neutrophils.