DEAR DR. GOTT:
My son had unexplained mouth sores for six months that broke out every three weeks. He saw a dentist and peridontist who were both unable to help. He was then referred to a dental school. Once there, the dentists immediately knew what the problem was. He was diagnosed with idiopathic cyclic neutropenia (low white blood cell levels). He underwent weekly blood tests for a few months to confirm the diagnosis but it was reassuring to know that the sores were not for lack of dental hygiene as we thought.

These types of sores are usually only seen in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy but some, like my son, don’t seem to have a reason for the neutropenia. He was also lucky that his neutropenia resolved on its own, but I have since found out there are some treatments available. [Read more...]