Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My mother has a high WBC count of 15,000, a platelet count of 540,000, and hemoglobin at 11.2. Her ESR is 86, and CRP is also similar. She has a fever, which rises in the evening to 101. Can you please tell me what this denotes? Also, will the high platelet count cause a danger for a blood clot or stroke? Currently, she is taking Mesacol 800 mg, VSL#3, Amodep-AT for blood pressure, and Thyronorm for thyroid.
Please help.
Thank you.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
High platelet count will not lead to thrombosis in the body. Do not worry about that. High platelet is because of reactive thrombocytosis, and that can occur in bleeding, anemia, infection, inflammation, etc.
You have an ulcer in the colon, and it seems to be ulcerative colitis, for which you have been prescribed Mesacol (mesalamine). So, a biopsy has to be taken from the ulcer to rule out the exact cause. This inflammatory bowel disease is leading to high ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), CRP (C-reactive protein), and high leukocyte count in your case.
Specific treatment should be given as per the cause. Also, investigate with a stool culture. Take treatment only after consulting a gastroenterologist.
I hope this will help you. Take care.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thank you for your prompt and detailed response.
The medicines were prescribed by a gastroenterologist only. What does one investigate with stool culture? Could you kindly elaborate the sentence 'biopsy should be taken from the ulcer to rule out the exact cause'?
Thank you.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I read your query and can understand your concern.
It is good that you have consulted a gastroenterologist for your condition.
The drug Mesacol is used in ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, and a biopsy is beneficial for that. There are many causes for ulcerative colitis. I suggest you undergo a biopsy, where only 0.2 to 0.3 inches of tissue is removed during a colonoscopy. This tissue is sent for histopathology examination.
So, by histopathological examination, any inflammation, infection, ulcerative colitis, or malignancy can be ruled out. Here, the chances of malignancy are very low, so do not worry.
By stool culture, the specific organism can be identified causing diarrhea, and accordingly, medication for that can be suggested as per the culture report.
Take care. You can discuss all this with your gastroenterologist, and then let your
A gastroenterologist decides whether a biopsy is needed or not.
I hope this helps.
Please revert in case of further queries.
Thank you.
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Answered byDr. Goswami Parth Rajendragiri
Medically reviewed byDr. K. Shobana
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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