The Diagnostic Work-Up of Hypereosinophilia

Hypereosinophilia (HE) is defined as a persistent elevated eosinophil count of >= 1.5 x 10(9)/L. HE can be one of the dominant manifestations of a hematopoietic myeloid neoplasm or secondary/reactive to an underlying medical condition. If a cause of HE and its associated tissue/organ damage is not determined, the condition is considered to be idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). The work-up of HE can be challenging due to a broad range of causes of HE that can be either reactive or neoplastic. In recent years, with the advent of molecular genetic testing and the introduction of targeted therapy in the management of these patients, there is a growing interest in better characterization of these diseases. Using a multimodality approach and following a proper algorithm, a diagnosis can be made in a large proportion of patients. In idiopathic HES, myeloid neoplasm associated somatic mutations as evidence of clonality are reported in 20-25% patients; however, the mutation data should be-interpreted cautiously considering the prevalence of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). Bone marrow morphology has been shown to have important value in the identification of a true myeloid neoplasm in these disorders. A genome-wide study may be needed to understand the "idiopathic" cases that would ultimately lead to better patient care. (C) 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel