Utility of automated hematology analyzer in diagnosis of malarial parasite

Authors : Alpesh M. Maru, Atul Shrivastava

DOI : 10.18231/j.ijpo.2019.082

Volume : 6

Issue : 3

Year : 2019

Page No : 428-433

Introduction: Malaria is the most common infectious disease that affecting many people worldwide. Microscopic method is remain gold standard method for diagnosis but Hemazoin pigments produced by malaria are also scatter the laser light and producing abnormal scattergrams during CBC analysis & thus we have conducted this study to prove usefulness of 5-part automated hematology analyzer (LH-750) in presumptive diagnosis of malaria.
Materials and Methods: This prospective study was done at pathology department of C.U. Shah Medical college & hospital, Surendranagar from November 2013 to April 2014. 2 ml of EDTA blood samples were collected and blood analysis was done on hematology analyzer (5-part LH – 750). Thick and thin blood films were prepared and stained with giemsa stain in all cases.
Results: Among 100 positive cases out of 2710 samples, 63 cases were positive for plasmodium vivax and 37 cases were positive for plasmodium falciparum. Among 100 malaria positive cases, abnormal scattergram pattern was observed in 65 cases. In P.vivax group (n=63 cases), 50 cases showed abnormal scattergram out of 63 cases, having sensitivity of 79.36%. In P. falciparum group (n=37 cases), 15 cases showed abnormal scattergram out of 37 cases with having sensitivity of 40.54%. Various abnormalities found on WBC-DIFF scattergrams in patients of malaria were merging & graying of neutrophils & eosinophils clusters, prominent blue coded events below neutrophils clusters.(in RBC ghost region).
Conclusion: Automated hematology analyzer is very important diagnostic tool for malaria with scattergram abnormalities are helpful in presumptive diagnosis of malaria. All such cases should be confirmed by gold standard method.

Keywords: Malaria, Scattergram, Pseudo eosinophilia.


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