Eosinophilic Granulocytes

Abstract

Eosinophils can easily be recognized in panoptically stained slide preparations on the basis of their relatively large eosinophilic plasma granules. The nucleus, which often has two, more rarely three or more segments, also gives the cell a characteristic appearance. Eosinophils have a special, probably suppressive, role in allergic processes. Some authors emphasize their vulnerability in vitro [123], but they can often be better preserved than neutrophilic granulocytes, if no more than 3 hours elapse between collection of the sample and fixation of the cells. The normal CSF contains no eosinophils. Since they also appear rarely in the majority of infectious reactions, any increase in their number demands special attention.