Peripheral eosinophilia

[studylol]

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Hello friends,

Besides the obvious implication that eosinophils are elevated, why is it important? What are the manifestations? My profs have used this term a few times without explanation.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[pathologyDO]

Hello friends,

Besides the obvious implication that eosinophils are elevated, why is it important? What are the manifestations? My profs have used this term a few times without explanation.

Thanks a bunch.

Well, it is kindof a unique lab finding so that right there can help narrow your differential. Immediately think allergies, infections with parasites or fungi, leukemia, etc. I would think of eosinophilia as a reaction to an underlying cause rather than wonder what the eosinophils do to the body, if that makes sense.

 

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

Here is the differential diagnosis for eosinophilia that I have written down in my FA:

DNAAACP

Drugs
Neoplasm
Atopic
Acute Interstitial Nephritis
Addison's disease
Collagen vascular diseases
Parasites

 

[studylol]

Thanks for the responses. Question please: for peripheral eosinophilia, why would they only be found in peripheral blood?

 

[seminoma]

Thanks for the responses. Question please: for peripheral eosinophilia, why would they only be found in peripheral blood?

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you implying that the eos won't also be in tissues? I've never been taught about eos deviating from the usual WBC migration (blood --> tissue) so I would expect eos to be elevated in both blood at tissue.

As far as I know, there isn't anything complex about eosinophilia. As the others have mentioned, it is important because only a few things cause an increased eosinophil count.

 

[Phloston]

Well, it is kindof a unique lab finding so that right there can help narrow your differential. Immediately think allergies, infections with parasites or fungi, leukemia, etc. I would think of eosinophilia as a reaction to an underlying cause rather than wonder what the eosinophils do to the body, if that makes sense.

Here is the differential diagnosis for eosinophilia that I have written down in my FA:

DNAAACP

Drugs
Neoplasm
Atopic
Acute Interstitial Nephritis
Addison's disease
Collagen vascular diseases
Parasites

Highest yield ones are helminth infections, atopy and Churg-Strauss.

Addison disease is a cool one but eosinophilia isn't extraordinarily common in it. It's more like if you still don't know what's wrong with your patient but the eosinophils are a little high, do the short synacthen test.

 

[seminoma]

@Phloston how are you still able to recall stuff like this?

 

[Transposony]

Eosinophils usually hang out in peripheral tissues ( bronchial/GI mucosa & skin).
So, eosinophilia (primary or secondary) is almost always abnormal.
Secondary eosinophilia is usually "reactive" as in invasive helminthic parasitic infections/asthma (Charcot–Leyden crystals) etc.

 

[scoKraz4]

You also see eosinophilia in cholesterol embolism. When biopsy is done you will generally see macrophages and eo's. So if you get a Q about a person with atherosclerosis and eosinophilia in the blood, keep cholesterol embolism in the ddx.

 

[studylol]

Thanks again.