Han HW, Wang XX, Wang Y, Zhang WH. Hyperleukocytosis associated with pertussis: Two case reports. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(17): 102207 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i17.102207]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Wei-Hua Zhang, MD, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular/Respiratory, Affiliated Rainbow Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 3 Weiyang West Road, Qindu District, Xianyang 712000, Shaanxi Province, China. xiangyuelanda2006@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Pediatrics
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Hong-Wu Han, Xi-Xia Wang, Department of Pediatric, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046, Shaanxi Province, China
Ying Wang, Wei-Hua Zhang, Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular/Respiratory, Affiliated Rainbow Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712000, Shaanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Han HW wrote and revised the manuscript; Wang XX and Wang Y jointly collected the data; Zhang WH revised the manuscript for intellectual content; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Key Research and Development Plan of Shaanxi Province, China, No. 2018SF-265.
Informed consent statement: All the procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee of Caihong Hospital. Informed consents were obtained from the parents/guardians of both patients.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wei-Hua Zhang, MD, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular/Respiratory, Affiliated Rainbow Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 3 Weiyang West Road, Qindu District, Xianyang 712000, Shaanxi Province, China. xiangyuelanda2006@126.com
Received: October 11, 2024 Revised: January 13, 2025 Accepted: January 21, 2025 Published online: June 16, 2025 Processing time: 129 Days and 16.2 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Pertussis is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Although the diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine is widely administered, there are still a number of patients with severe pertussis each year, which can lead to death, especially in infants and young children. Hyperleukocytosis is a factor related to the severity of pertussis and a risk factor for death. Reducing the leukocyte number by plasma exchange is a treatment method in clinical practice.
CASE SUMMARY
Two children with pertussis with cough as the initial symptom, developed pneumonia during the course of the illness. White blood cell counts were significantly increased with the highest values of 87.34 × 109/L and 55.46 × 109/L. Following anti-infection, plasma exchange, and ventilator treatment, both children recovered.
CONCLUSION
Early identification of children with pertussis complicated with hyperleukocytosis and timely plasma exchange can improve the prognosis and reduce mortality.
Core Tip: Hyperleukocytosis associated with pertussis is a serious condition associated with a high mortality rate. Timely application of relevant antibiotics, ventilator therapy and plasma exchange improve outcomes and reduces mortality. Plasma exchange plays a crucial role in decreasing the white blood cell count in pediatric patients with pertussis-induced hyperleukocytosis. A thorough evaluation of the child’s white blood cell count, circulatory status, and respiratory function is essential, and the timing of plasma exchange should be meticulously assessed.
