Legal examination of medical records often involves interpreting laboratory reports. In a previous post I focused on common lab tests, their purposes and what constitutes a normal result. Zeroing in on blood work, a complete blood count (CBC) with differential can reveal significant findings. The “differential” is a breakdown of various white blood cells, pointing to diagnoses ranging from inflammation and infection to immune system disorders or even leukemia.

When examining causes for abnormal white blood cell (WBC) counts, there exists a wide range of potential causes. Honing in on the particular type of WBC is the first step in discovering the possible source. The five types of WBC are neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils. The chart below isolates the causes for both elevated and deficient WBC counts.