Aetiological diagnosis in permanent residents of Punjab presenting with chest complaints and high peripheral blood eosinophilia.

Sixty-six permanent residents of Punjab, presenting with chest complaints and absolute eosinophil counts (AEC) over 2000 per cumm were investigated to find out the cause of high eosinophilia. Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TE) was responsible for high eosinophilia in 27 cases (40.9%), even in this region where filariasis is not endemic. Severe asthma (23 cases), allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA-5 cases), drug reaction (2 cases) and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (2 cases) in adults and ascariasis (6 cases) in children were other main causes of high eosinophilia. It is emphasized that all cases with high blood eosinophilia should not be labelled as cases of TE simply on the basis of AEC over 2000 per cumm. This is all the more important for non-filarial regions. Only a systematically conducted work up can clinch the correct diagnosis in such cases.