Neutropenia is a transient or chronic blood disorder characterized by a decrease in the number of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Neutrophils are a major cellular defense against infection, and depletion of these cells is potentially fatal. Stomatitis and gingivitis frequently are seen in patients with neutropenia. Therefore, the diagnosis of severe oral pathoses of obscure origin must include a differential white blood cell count. The importance of the dentist's role is dramatically illustrated in the rare case reported here, since the oral condition was the reason for this patient's definitive blood work‐up. The report illustrates the importance of the laboratory assessment in dental patients with unusual periodontal destruction or other inexplicable oral changes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.