Arneth index

Arneth Index is a medical diagnostic tool used in hematology to determine the percentage of neutrophils in the blood that have a certain number of nuclear lobes. It was named after the German physician Joseph Arneth, who first proposed the index in the early 20th century.

Overview

The Arneth Index is calculated by counting the number of neutrophils with one, two, three, four, and five or more lobes and expressing these numbers as a percentage of the total neutrophil count. The index is then plotted on a graph, with the number of lobes on the x-axis and the percentage of neutrophils on the y-axis. This graph is known as an Arneth count or Arneth curve.

Clinical significance

The Arneth Index is primarily used to help diagnose certain blood disorders, including neutrophilia, neutropenia, and myeloproliferative disorders. A shift to the left in the Arneth count (i.e., an increase in the percentage of neutrophils with fewer lobes) is typically associated with bacterial infections, while a shift to the right (i.e., an increase in the percentage of neutrophils with more lobes) is often seen in conditions such as vitamin B12 deficiency and folic acid deficiency.

Limitations

While the Arneth Index can provide valuable information about the state of a patient's neutrophils, it is not a definitive diagnostic tool. Other tests, such as a complete blood count (CBC) and differential blood count, are often needed to confirm a diagnosis. Furthermore, the index can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the patient's age, sex, and overall health status.

See also

• Neutrophil
• Hematology
• Blood disorders
• Joseph Arneth