What could be the reason for a low WBC count?

Question

Hello doctor,

Over a month ago, I had a bad headache on one side of my head for a couple of days and went to see my GP, who asked for full blood tests, I think, to check for infections. The tests were normal, except for the WBC count, which had reduced to 3.4 (neutrophils 1.4). The GP thought I might have had a virus and asked to repeat tests after three weeks, which I did, and at that time, I was feeling fine. My results came back a few days ago, and WBC is still reduced at 3.4 and neutrophils at 1.4, so the same as before. There was no note from the blood laboratory about any abnormal cells found, which they would apparently make a note about if any were found. I have asked, and my previous blood test in the past had normal WBC, so it is not like I have a reduced count naturally. I am feeling very concerned and have asked for a referral to a hematologist for further tests. I have no other symptoms and otherwise feel ok. What could this be?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Viral infection, autoimmune disorder, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), drug-induced, etc, are some of the common causes.

I suggest you investigate with a peripheral smear examination report to look for any abnormal cells, if present, as well as an ultrasonography abdomen report for further workup. You can revert to reports to guide you further. Meanwhile, you can consult a nearby hematologist for a detailed evaluation. You still have to repeat your CBC (complete blood count) after a few days.

If it is constantly going down, then finally, a bone marrow aspiration study can be done, or else, right now, there is no need for bone marrow.

I hope this has helped you.

Please feel free to reach out to me again if you have further queries.

Thank you.

What could be the reason for a low WBC count?

Concerned about a low WBC count?