What Causes Abnormal Basophil Count?

Abnormal basophil count can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

Diagnose your symptoms now!

let The Analyst™ find what's wrong
check your overall health status
identify any nutritional deficiencies

Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose abnormal basophil count, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "abnormal basophil count" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):

Hemolytic Anemia
Crohn's Disease
Splenectomy Side-Effects
Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Tendency Toward Allergic Reactions
Dermatitis Herpetiformis
Sinusitis
Collagen Vascular Disease

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

moderate unexplained weight loss

major right iliac pain after food

major fatigue for 3-12 months

highly elevated eosinophil count

active Crohn's disease

moderate mid-abdomen pain after food

frequent stools

highly elevated lymphocyte count

meal-induced pain for 1-4 weeks

occasional unexplained fevers

occasional mucus in stools

multiple swollen cervical nodes

... and more than 30 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of abnormal basophil count:

Cause	Probability	Status
Tendency Toward Allergic Reactions	91%	Confirm
Sinusitis	24%	Unlikely
Dermatitis Herpetiformis	21%	Unlikely
Crohn's Disease	3%	Ruled out
Hemolytic Anemia	3%	Ruled out
Hodgkin's Lymphoma	3%	Ruled out
Splenectomy Side-Effects	1%	Ruled out
Collagen Vascular Disease	1%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate having had recent lab tests, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

White Blood Cells - Basophil Percentage [fraction]

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ 0 to 2% [0.00-0.02] (normal)
→ 3 to 5% [0.03-0.05] (somewhat elevated)
→ 6 to 10% [0.06-0.10] (elevated)
→ Over 10% [0.10] (high)

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate normal basophil count, somewhat elevated basophil count, elevated basophil count or highly elevated basophil count, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Asthma

Chickenpox

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)

Basophil levels are normally very low, but a high basophil count can indicate a problem with the production and growth of blood cells in the bone narrow, as occurs in myeloproliferative disorders.

Collagen Vascular Disease

Consequences of Splenectomy

Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Eczema

Various chronic forms of dermatitis can increase basophil levels.

Hemolytic Anemia

Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Hypothyroidism

Polycythemia Vera

Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance

Increased estrogen can raise basophil levels.

Sinusitis