Abnormality of differential WBC count

Neutrophilia
Neutrophilia or neutrophilic leukocytosis is the increase in neutrophil count. It occurs in the following conditions:

• Acute infections
• Metabolic disorders
• Injection of foreign proteins
• Injection of vaccines
•  Poisoning by chemicals and drugs like lead, mercury, camphor, benzene derivatives, etc.
• Poisoning by insect venom
•  After acute hemorrhage.

Eosinophilia

• Eosinophilia is the increase in eosinophil count and it occurs in:
• Asthma and other allergic conditions
• Blood parasitism (malaria, filariasis)
• Intestinal parasitism
• Scarlet fever.

Basophilia
Basophilia is the increase in basophil count and it occurs in:

• Smallpox
• Chickenpox
• Polycythemia vera.

Monocytosis
Monocytosis is the increase in monocyte count and it occurs in:

• Tuberculosis
• Syphilis
• Malaria
• Kala-azar
• Glandular fever.

Lymphocytosis
Lymphocytosis is the increase in lymphocyte count and it occurs in:

• Diphtheria
• Infectious hepatitis
• Mumps
• Malnutrition
• Rickets
• Syphilis
• Thyrotoxicosis
• Tuberculosis.

Neutropenia
Neutropenia is the decrease in neutrophil count. It occurs in:

• Bone marrow disorders
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Autoimmune diseases.

Eosinopenia
Decrease in eosinophil count is called eosinopenia. It occurs in:

• Cushing’s syndrome
• Bacterial infections
• Stress
• Prolonged administration of drugs such as steroids, ACTH, epinephrine.

Basopenia
Basopenia or basophilic leukopenia is the decrease in basophil count. It occurs in:

• Urticaria (skin disorder)
• Stress
• Prolonged exposure to chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Monocytopenia
Monocytopenia is the decrease in monocyte count. Itoccurs in:

• Prolonged use of prednisone (immunosuppressant steroid)
• AIDS
• Chronic lymphoid leukemia.

Lymphocytopenia
Lymphocytopenia is the decrease in lymphocytes. It occurs in:

• AIDS
• Hodgkin’s disease (cancer of the lymphatic system)
•  Malnutrition
•  Radiation therapy
•  Steroid administration.