Definition

A serious health condition where there is a significant drop in a type of white blood cells, leading to a higher risk of infections. It can happen suddenly and may be caused by certain medications or exposure to radiation.

Example

The patient was diagnosed with agranulocytosis after experiencing severe infections.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of agranulocytosis?

No, what is that?

It's a condition where you have a really low count of white blood cells, making you more vulnerable to infections.

That sounds serious! I hope it's not something common.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Agranulocytosis is formed from "a-" (meaning without), "granulum" (from Latin, meaning grain or small particle), and "cytosis" (from Greek "kytos", meaning cell). The term describes a condition characterized by a deficiency of granulocytes, which are a type of white blood cell, hence meaning a lack of granular cells.

Memory Tip

Think of 'without' ('a-') and 'granular cells' ('granulum' and 'cytosis') to remember that agranulocytosis refers to a condition where there is a deficiency of these important cells.

Visually Confused Words