Blood and Tissue Eosinophilia: A Study at the MVJ Medical College & Research Hospital with Review of Literature

<p>Eosinophils are granulocytic white blood cells, recognized by Paul Ehrlich about 125 years ago. Blood and tissue eosinophilia is a known occurrence in literature. The causes are varied. Eosinophilia also poses a risk for anesthesia for the fear of bronchoconstriction. At the M.V.J Medical College &amp; Research Hospital, it was observed that surgeries were delayed as a result of an increased blood eosinophilia. An increase in the number of such delays prompted the undertaking of this study, in order to check the prevalence of eosinophilia in this geographic region. The aims of the study were to find out the hospital based prevalence of blood eosinophilia in a rural population of Hoskote and to compare these figures with blood eosinophilia in a hospital based urban population of Bangalore. To detect biopsy based prevalence of tissue eosinophilia in this rural population and its correlation if any, with blood eosinophilia and the sequelae to organ pathology. All the blood samples sent to the pathology department for routine investigations were taken for the study, over a 3 month period. A retrospective sample study of 1 year duration was done to study biopsy based tissue eosinophilia. Our results showed that among 500 blood samples, 100 patients had blood eosinophilia. Among the control group of 50 patients, 4 patients had blood eosinophilia. The prevalence of blood eosinophilia in the rural population was therefore 20% as compared to 8% in the urban population and independent of age and sex. Nine patients had tissue eosinophilia among the surgical biopsies studied over one year period. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, laboratory findings and histopathology diagnosis of these patients were correlated. Of these, eosinophilic gastroenteritis was the commonest pathology leading to surgical intervention. In conclusion a high prevalence of blood and tissue eosinophilia was observed in the hospital based rural population. No exact etiology could be detected for blood eosinophilia. Tissue eosinophilia was independent of blood eosinophilia</p>