Results may not be positive. Lalezali and colleagues demonstrated antibodies in 119 of 121 infants and children with chronic neutropenia, whereas Jonsson and Buchanan demonstrated a positive result in only 13 of 28 patients studied. Bruin et al demonstrated that in patients with primary AIN, antibodies were directed exclusively against the NA alloantigens, whereas in patients with secondary AIN, antibodies had pan-FC gamma RIIIb specificity. Bone marrow examination Bone marrow examination is often necessary to exclude other diagnoses. Bone marrow may be hypercellular or normocellular with myeloid hyperplasia.
Bone marrow can be totally normal including physiologic lymphoid hyperplasia.
Serum immunoglobulin quantitation helps to exclude neutropenia associated with hypogammaglobulinemia. Generally, no imaging studies are indicated. Megakaryocytes and normoblasts are normal. Often, an increased number of mature lymphocytes consistent with the patient's age are present. Bone marrow findings alone are not diagnostic.