What is Mastocytosis?
In the early to mid-20th century, all forms of Mast Cell Disease were undifferentiated and were grouped under the name “Mastocytosis.” Mastocytosis specifically means “an abnormal increase in the number of mast cells,” but we now know that definition, taken from the root words, relates to some very specific mast cell disorders, and may not apply to others. Some of the research done in the latter part of the 20th century laid the groundwork for much of the work done today. Over the last 30 years, there has been an explosion of interest in, and research into, the various Mast Cell Diseases, resulting in many different categories being defined, and the definitions are still evolving.
