Study on Peripheral Eosinophilia among Paediatric Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Eosinophilia may be due to primary or secondary causes. They are divided based on absolute eosinophil count as: mild (less than 1500 cells per cubic millimeter); moderate (1500 to 5000 cells per cubic millimeter); and severe (more than 5000 cells per cubic millimeter). In the paediatric population the prevalence of Hypereosinophilia (HE) is still unknown, because there is no completed population base studies recorded. Evaluating the underlying pathology is an essential step in the management of Paediatric HE. On the basis of the underlying aetiological factors, clinical manifestations may vary from benign, self-resolving eosinophilia to life-threatening disorders with the significant end-organ damage. There is an increase in incidence rates of paediatric eosinophilic esophagitis, gastritis and colitis among the hypereosinophilic patients. Aim: To correlate eosinophilia in different age groups and various diseases among the paediatric patients attending the tertiary care hospital for various illnesses. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective study conducted for a period of five months, among the paediatric patients who attended the tertiary care centre for various reasons. Complete blood count was done for these patients with the automated haematology analyser. The eosinophil count was assessed by peripheral smear study. Results: Among the total 1341 cases, moderate eosinophilia was observed in 29 patients (17%), severe eosinophilia in 2 patients (1%) and mild eosinophilia in 138 patients (82%). Asthma and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (one case each) constituted the two cases of severe eosinophilia. The most common cause of moderate eosinophilia was observed in patients with other causes like iron deficiency anemia and infected wound. The most common cause of mild eosinophilia was due to diseases involving Gastrointestinal system (31 cases). Conclusion: In the present study majority of the cases were found to have mild eosinophilia with a male preponderance.

Keywords

• absolute eosinophil count
• allergy
• bacterial infection
• complete blood count
• fever