Leukocytosis

Overview
Leukocytosis is an elevation of the white blood cell count (the leukocyte count) above the normal range. The normal adult human leukocyte count in peripheral blood is 4.4-10.8 x 109/L. A white blood count of 11.0 x 109/L or more suggests leukocytosis.

Leukocytosis is very common in acutely ill patients. It occurs in response to a wide variety of conditions, including viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection, cancer, hemorrhage, and exposure to certain medications or chemicals including steroids. Leukocytosis can also be the first indication of neoplastic growth of leukocytes.

A leukocyte count above 25 to 30 x 109/L is termed a leukemoid reaction, which is the reaction of a healthy bone marrow to extreme stress, trauma, or infection. (It is different from leukemia and from leukoerythroblastosis, in which immature blood cells are present in peripheral blood.)

The mechanism that causes leukocytosis can be of several forms: an increased release of leukocytes from bone marrow storage pools, decreased margination of leukocytes onto vessel walls, decreased extravasation of leukocytes from the vessels into tissues, or an increase in number of precursor cells in the marrow.

Leukocytosis can be subcategorized by the type of white blood cell that is increased in number. Leukocytosis in which neutrophil count is elevated is neutrophilia; leukocytosis in which lymphocyte count is elevated is lymphocytosis; leukocytosis in which monocyte count is elevated is monocytosis; and leukocytosis in which eosinophil count is elevated is eosinophilia.

Although it may be a sign of illness, leukocytosis in-and-of itself is not a disorder, nor is it a disease. It is simply a laboratory finding.

For lung diseases like pneumonia,tuberculosis etc. WBC count are very important for the diagnosis of the disease that means leucocytosis can be seen in above mentioned diseases.

Differential Diagnosis of Leukocytosis
In alphabetical order.


 * Acute and chronic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
 * Acute leukemia
 * Bacterial infections
 * Bronchitis
 * Burns
 * Chickenpox
 * Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 * Chronic polyarteritis
 * Colitis
 * Cushing's Syndrome
 * Dermatitis
 * Diabetic coma
 * Down Syndrome
 * Drugs, toxins
 * Endocarditis
 * Exercise
 * Fungal infections
 * Gangrene
 * Gout
 * Hairy Cell Leukemia
 * Hemolytic anemia
 * Hemorrhage
 * Hyperthyroidism
 * Infectious lymphocytosis
 * Infectious mononucleosis
 * Malignant tumors
 * Measles
 * Mumps
 * Myelofibrosis
 * Parasitic infections
 * Polycythemia Vera
 * Post-splenectomy
 * Prolymphocytic leukemia
 * Pyelonephritis
 * Recovery from agranulocytosis
 * Seizures
 * Trauma
 * Uremic coma
 * Viral hepatitis

Leukozytose Leucocitosis Leucocytose Leucocitose Лейкоцитоз

Leukocytoza