Neutropenic patients may have unusual presentations of infection because of
their inability to mount an adequate inflammatory response and their susce
ptibility to infection caused by less virulent organisms. About 60% of febr
ile episodes are associated with no other signs and symptoms and no infecti
ng organism can be identified, yet most respond to antibacterial therapy. I
f not treated promptly, infection in neutropenic patients can progress rapi
dly. Unusual sites of infection include typhlitis, perirectal infections an
d atypical forms of cellulitis. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. and Internat
ional Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.