Profile of Lymphopenia in Children from Zero to Two Years in Douala-Cameroon: Study of 58 Observations

D: Pediatric lymphopenia is an often malignant biological sign that can be associated with a primary immune deficiency exposing children to severe and/or recurrent infections. The objective of this work was to study the profile of lymphopenia in order to assess its importance in children aged from 0 to 2 years and to direct them towards better management. Method: We conducted a prospective and crosssectional study at the General Hospital and the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala. It took place from March 18 to July 31, 2019 on children from zero to two years old. A blood count was performed followed by a thin blood smear on a population of 825. The data was entered and analyzed using Epi Infos 7 and Office 2013 software. Results: The prevalence of lymphopenia was 7.03%, or 58 cases. It was more represented in female children, is 6.46%, and in children aged between 7 and 24 months. In children with lymphopenia, fever was the most represented clinical sign (63.79%), infections of the ORL sphere were the most frequent (51.72%) of which 36.20% were severe and/or repeated. and respiratory disorders were predominant (53.45%). Thrombocytopenia and anemia were the most common blood count abnormalities associated with lymphopenia, at 31.03% each. Conclusion: This study shows us that pediatric lymphopenia is accompanied by several clinical signs and testifies to the presence of several cases of disease due to bacterial, parasitic, fungal or viral infections. Therefore, it would be important to take into account the probable p