leucocytosis

Thân thiện

A doctor points to a chart showing leucocytosis during a patient consultation.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells in the blood: This condition is typically a physiological response, often as a result of infection, inflammation, or other medical conditions such as leukemia.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient's blood test revealed a significant leucocytosis, prompting further investigation.
  • Leucocytosis is a common laboratory finding in cases of bacterial infection.

Advanced Usage

• "to exhibit leucocytosis": to show signs of an elevated white blood cell count.
  • The febrile patient began to exhibit leucocytosis.
• "reactive leucocytosis": a temporary increase in white blood cells in response to a stimulus like infection.
  • The diagnosis was a reactive leucocytosis due to pneumonia.

Variants and Related Words

• Leukocytosis (n): An alternative spelling, more common in American English.
  • Leukocytosis and leucocytosis refer to the same condition.
• Leucocyte (n): A white blood cell.
  • Leucocytes are crucial components of the immune system.

Synonyms

• White cell count elevation: A descriptive synonym for an increase in white blood cells.
• Hyperleukocytosis: An extreme or very high degree of leucocytosis.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Leukopenia (n): The opposite condition, an abnormally low number of white blood cells.
  • Unlike leucocytosis, leukopenia indicates a decreased white cell count.

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically denotes an abnormal increase. A normal, temporary increase in white blood cells during exercise, for instance, is not typically labeled "leucocytosis" in a clinical diagnosis.
• It is a sign, not a disease itself, indicating an underlying process such as infection, inflammation, tissue damage, or malignancy.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an abnormal increase in the number of white blood cells in the blood as a result of infection (as in leukemia)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• leukocytosis