My boss went to the doctor yesterday after they told her she had an extremely high white cell count.?!


Question: My boss went to the doctor yesterday after they told her she had an extremely high white cell count..?
she has shortness of breath, chronic cough, numbness and tingling in arms, and fatigue, sleeping much more than usual, all they did was check her for mono and tell her not to worry. although she only saw the nurse on her follow up visit, not a doctor, which i find strange i am concerned and i know she is too. can anyone give me any advice to pass on to her, about what to do or what this could be.? i have asked a couple of other questions on this same subject, and appreciate your patience if you helped me yesterday. thanks in advance.Health Question & Answer


Answers:
Don't know what they mean by extremely high white count nor the type of white cell that was elevated.

Every laboratory has a set of rules on what CBC results are a mandatory review by the pathologist. They look at the blood smear along with the abnormality and suggest a possible diagnosis or action to take. That number of WBC varies from laboratory to laboratory and it does depend on the cell type that is seen.

The interpretation all falls on the clinical situation and that is done by the treating doctor. Your description is slightly confusing as you state they went to the doctor AFTER they told her she had a high white count. Who ordered the original CBC then.?

Edit

I guess you are concerned about leukemia. Leukemia is associated with lymhoblast which are different than lymphocytes. They are different cells. That's why I asked what type of cell is elevated. Another point about leukemia is that it is associated with low platelets or anemia. The reason for that is because leukemia is a bone marrow disease where the other cells are produced and are affected.

With regards to the lymphocytes, viral infections cause high lymphocytes. Abnormal lymphocytes are typical for mono and other viral infections. These are called reactive or atypical lymphocytes. I take it that the person involved is a young teenager which is why they suspect infectious mono and not an old person where chronic leukemia is much more prevalent and even under those circumstances and experienced hematologist can recognize the cell responsible and alert clinicians.Health Question & Answer

An increased white blood cell count can signify anything from infection to cancer. But with her symptoms, it probably is just something like mono. The common cold can even raise your white cell count.Health Question & Answer

What are the mono results.? There are a lot of other reasons why the WBC would be high besides mono.

numbness and tingling in the arms could indicate something with nerves, such as a pinched nerve. There are many causes for pinched nerves. While it's impossible to tell over internet if these symptoms are a result of multiple conditions or just one condition, I would be worried about something affecting a variety of nerves and the brain.

While mono could explain a couple of the symptoms, it does not cover them all.

EDIT:
If mono is negative, the other possible causes for presenting symptoms seems pretty grave. She should make as much noise as possible to receive the care that can best help her.Health Question & Answer



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