What is "cyclic neutropenia"

n. neutropenia that occurs periodically

Cyclic neutropenia (or cyclical neutropenia) is a form of neutropenia, a white blood cell deficiency, that tends to occur every three weeks and lasts three to six days at a time due to changing rates of cell production by the bone marrow.

Cyclic neutropenia is the result of autosomal dominantly inherited mutations in ELA2, the gene encoding neutrophil elastase, and is estimated to occur in 1 in 1 million individuals worldwide. Treatment includes G-CSF and usually improves after puberty.