How Is Lymphocytopenia Diagnosed?
Your doctor will diagnose lymphocytopenia based on
your medical history, a physical exam, and the results from tests.
Lymphocytopenia alone may not cause any signs or
symptoms. As a result, the condition often is diagnosed during testing for
other diseases or conditions.
Specialists Involved
Your primary care doctor may notice that you have
unusual infections, repeat infections, and/or infections that won't go away.
These may be signs of lymphocytopenia. Your primary care doctor may refer you
to an infectious disease specialist to find out what's causing the
infections.
You also may see a hematologist (blood disease
specialist) or an immunologist (immune disorders specialist). Blood diseases
and immune disorders can cause lymphocytopenia.
Medical History
To learn about your medical history and your risk
for a low lymphocyte count, your doctor may ask:
- About your risk for AIDS, including questions
about blood
transfusions, sexual partners, intravenous (IV) drug use, and exposure to
infectious blood or bodily fluids at work
- Whether you've ever received radiation or
chemotherapy (treatments for cancer)
- Whether you've ever been diagnosed with a blood
disease or immune disorder, or whether you have a family history of such
illnesses
Physical Exam
Your doctor will do a physical exam to look for
signs of infection, such as fever. He or she may check your abdomen for signs
of an enlarged spleen and your neck for signs of enlarged lymph nodes.
Your doctor also will look for signs and symptoms of
diseases and conditions that can affect your lymphocyte count, such as AIDS and
blood cancers.
Diagnostic Tests
Your doctor may order one or more of the following
tests to help diagnose a low lymphocyte count.
Complete Blood Count With Differential
A
complete
blood count (CBC) measures many different parts of your blood. It checks
the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood.
The CBC shows whether you have a low number of white blood cells.
Lymphocytes account for 20 to 40 percent of all
white blood cells. Although a CBC will show an overall low white blood cell
count, it won't show whether the number of lymphocytes is low.
You may need a more detailed test, called a CBC with
differential, to see whether you have a low lymphocyte count. This test shows
whether you have low levels of different types of white blood cells, such as
lymphocytes. The results of this test can help your doctor diagnose
lymphocytopenia.
Flow Cytometry
This test looks at many types of blood cells. It's
even more detailed than a CBC with differential.
Flow cytometry can measure the levels of the
different types of lymphocytesT cells, B cells, and natural
killer cells. This can help diagnose the underlying cause of lymphocytopenia.
Some underlying conditions cause low levels of T cells. Others may
cause low levels of B cells or natural killer cells.
Tests for Underlying Conditions
A number of diseases and conditions can cause
lymphocytopenia. Thus, your doctor will want to find out what's causing the
condition. You may be tested for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, blood diseases, and
immune disorders.
Tests for these underlying conditions might include
blood
tests,
bone
marrow tests, and lymph node tests.
Lymph nodes are part of the immune system. They're
found in many places in your body. During a physical exam, your doctor may find
that certain lymph nodes are swollen. In lymphocytopenia, the lymph nodes may
hold on to too many lymphocytes and not release them into the bloodstream.
To test a lymph node, you may need to have it
removed. This involves a minor surgical procedure. |