Clinical and Interpretive

This assay is used as an aid in the diagnosis of joint disease, systemic disease, inflammation, malignancy, infection, and trauma. For pathologic examination, please also order cytology.

Body fluids, other than the commonly analyzed urine and blood, include synovial, pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial fluids. These fluids may be present in increased volumes and/or may contain increased numbers of normal and/or abnormal cells in a variety of disease states.

Trauma and hemorrhage may result in increased red and white cells; red cells predominate. White blood cells are increased in inflammatory and infectious processes:
-Neutrophils predominate in bacterial infections
-Lymphocytes predominate in viral infections
-Macrophages may be increased in inflammatory and infectious processes
-Eosinophils may be increased in parasitic or fungal infections or in shunts