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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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.