An increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood and associated with an allergic response or an invasive helminth infection.
Eosinophilia means an abnormal increase in the number of eosinophils (see EOSINOPHIL) in the blood. It occurs in Hodgkin’s disease (see LYMPHOMA), in ASTHMA and hay fever, in some skin diseases, and in parasitic infestation.
A group of conditions having the characteristic elevation of eosinophils. These somewhat mysterious granulocytic leukocytes (white blood cells filled with cottage cheese) are definitely involved in parasite resistance, seem to initiate strong inflammation under some conditions, can facilitate clotting by inhibiting heparin, yet also are a part of the process of healing and inflammation control as an infection winds down. Eosinophilia is on one hand an inherited condition associated with atopic dermatitis (common, relatively benign, and irritating as hell), but, when acquired from chemical contact, drug reaction or spontaneously surfaced auto-immune response, it can destroy muscles, nerve, lungs, even kill. It caused the notorious string of chemical reactions that was triggered by tainted Japanese tryptophan.
n. an increase in the number of eosinophils in the blood. Eosinophilia occurs in response to certain drugs and in a variety of diseases, including allergies, parasitic infestations, and certain forms of leukaemia.
A syndro me found in certain tropical areas in which patients present with hypereosinophilia, pulmonary infiltration, cough, chest pain and asthma-like attacks. Associated with infection by the filarial nematodes Wuchereriabancrofti and Brugia malayi. These infections are usually amicrofilaraemic, , especially in expatriates, i.e. no microfilariae can be detected in peripheral blood.... tropical eosinophilia
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