Differential count of white blood cells in synovial fluid

Abstract

Diakonhjemmet Hospital has a large rheumatology department, with regional responsibility for rheumatic disorders in adults. Our former reference method for the differential count of WBC's in synovial fluid was based on microscopy, which was very time-consuming. The purpose of our project was to examine whether our automatic analyser, Coulter LH 750, could carry out a differential count of WBC's in synovial fluid, not only total WBC. Determination of the differential WBC count in synovial fluid using Coulter LH 750 is highly correlated to the reference method. Automatic WBC count is faster and analysis more precise than manual count. Our findings demonstrate that the differential count of WBC in synovial fluid is therefore useful for both patients and physicians.

Keywords

• synovial fluid
• white blood cells
• automatic differential count