Basophilia
Basophilia is not a frequent finding in peripheral blood. This condition most commonly manifests as a reactive mechanism associated with eosinophilia and an absolute basophil count exceeding 200 cells/µL.
Increased basophils (> 0.1 x 109/l) seen in:
- viral infections
- urticaria
- post-splenectomy
- myxoedema
- ulcerative colitis
- systemic mastocytosis
- malignancy
- myeloproliferative disorders:
- chronic myeloid leukaemia
- myelofibrosis
- polycythaemia rubra vera
- haemolysis
Basophilia does not characteristically occur in secondary polycythaemia.
Note that excessive basophilia in chronic myeloid leukaemia may indicate the transformation into an accelerated or 'blastic' phase.
Transient basophilia is a reactive response, especially to an acute viral illness. Persistent basophilia on serial blood counts for longer than 8 weeks suggests an underlying malignancy or myeloproliferative disease.
Reference
- Çehreli C. Diagnostic Problems in Chronic Basophilic Leukemia. Turk J Haematol. 2018 Nov 13;35(4):283-289
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