granulocytopenia

granulocytopenia A marked decrease in the number of granulocytes that results in frequent chronic bacterial infections of the skin, lungs, throat, and other tissues. Granulocytopenia can be inherited, or it can be acquired. For example, it may be acquired as an aspect of leukemia. Granulocytopenia can more specifically be neutropenia (shortage of neutrophils), eosinopenia (shortage of eosinophils), and/or basopenia (shortage of basophils). The term neutropenia is sometimes used interchangeably with granulocytopenia. See also agranulocytosis; agranulocytosis, infantile genetic; neutropenia; severe congenital neutropenia.