What is a differential leukocyte level?
Leukocytes are white blood cells. There are different kinds of leukocytes, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. During a differential leukocyte count, 100 white blood cells are counted on a Wright stained blood smear using a microscope and assigned to one type. The percent of leukocytes that fall into each type can be used to indicate what disease or condition a patient has. An increased number of neutrophils may indicate a bacterial infection. The presence of cancerous cells can also be determined.
