Fecal Leukocyte Exam

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Fecal Leukocyte Exam

Microscopic examination of the stool may be useful in categorizing the cause of diarrhea. Normally, there are no WBCs in the stool.

Absence of WBCs in the stool may be seen in:

Viral diarrhea
Cholera
Amoebic colitis
Parasites such as Giardia or Entamoeba
Toxic diarrheas from Staph or Clostrium

Large numbers of WBCs in the stool may be seen in:

Chronic bacillary dysentary
Chronic ulcerative colitis
Colonic abscess

Monocytes are seen in Typhoid Fever.

Neutrophils are seen in:

Ulcerative colitis
Invasive E.Coli diarrhea
Salmonella
Shigellosis

Normal Values*

Fecal Leukocytes

Negative

*These are general values taken from a variety of sources. The actual normal values may vary from lab to lab and from one type of testing protocol to another.

The information contained here is an abbreviated summary. For more detailed and complete information, consult the manufacturer's product information sheets or standard textbooks

Source: Operational Medicine 2001, Health Care in Military Settings, NAVMED P-5139, May 1, 2001, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Department of the Navy, 2300 E Street NW, Washington, D.C., 20372-5300

This information is provided by The Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates, LLC. is a private organization, not affiliated with any governmental agency. The opinions presented here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Brookside Associates or the Department of Defense. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or the Brookside Associates. All material presented here is unclassified.

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