basofiliaa

Basophilia, sometimes written basofilia, is a medical term for an increased number of basophils in the peripheral blood. Basophils are a type of white blood cell involved in immune responses, particularly in allergic reactions and certain infections. Basophilia can be seen as an isolated finding or as part of a broader abnormal blood count.

Basophilia can be classified as absolute or relative. Absolute basophilia means an elevated basophil count above the laboratory reference range. Relative basophilia occurs when the percentage of basophils is higher due to changes in other white blood cell populations, not necessarily an increase in absolute basophils. Normal basophil counts are low and lab ranges vary; basophilia is defined as a count above the upper limit of normal, commonly around 0.1–0.3 x 10^9 cells per liter depending on the laboratory.

Causes of basophilia include reactive (or secondary) conditions and clonal (or primary) hematologic disorders. Reactive causes include allergic diseases (such as asthma and hay fever), chronic inflammatory or infectious states, autoimmune conditions, hypothyroidism, stress, pregnancy, and certain drugs. Clonal causes are primarily myeloproliferative neoplasms, such as chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. Basophilia can also arise after splenectomy or in other rare conditions.

Diagnosis relies on a complete blood count with differential, examination of the blood smear, and assessment for persistent basophilia. When basophilia is persistent or accompanied by other abnormalities, further testing may include mutation analyses (such as JAK2, CALR, MPL) to assess for myeloproliferative neoplasms and BCR-ABL1 testing to exclude chronic myeloid leukemia. Bone marrow examination may be indicated in certain cases.

Management focuses on treating the underlying cause. There is no specific treatment for basophilia itself; addressing the reactive condition or managing a myeloproliferative neoplasm as appropriate can normalize basophil levels and influence prognosis.