Because of the lack of apparent symptoms at the time, the patient was advised to have the CBC repeated in three months and have a CBC done on both parents. Repeat testing on the patient showed very similar results as the first CBC. The father also showed significant neutropenia, and the mother's CBC indicated mild neutropenia.
Based on the lack of associated symptoms, similar CBCs, and good health of the parents, a diagnosis of Benign Ethnic Neutropenia (BEN) was made.
Although patients with BEN are typically asymptomatic, establishing a diagnosis of this condition is very important, especially in patients prescribed medications that can lower neutrophil counts, such as clozapine and chemotherapy. Some recent studies indicate that clozapine does not significantly increase susceptibility to infections in BEN patients.
