Hypereosinophilic syndrome

Diagnosis

The initial goal in diagnosing hypereosinophilic syndrome is to rule out other disorders that can elevate your eosinophil count — such as a parasitic infection, allergic disease or drug reaction. Provide your travel history and a list of any medications you're taking to your doctor.

Ruling out other conditions

Your symptoms determine what types of tests will be recommended for a diagnosis. Some tests to rule out other conditions include:

• Blood tests. Blood tests may reveal autoimmunities, parasitic infections, or impaired liver or kidney function.
• Allergy tests. Environmental or food allergies can elevate your eosinophil count.
• Stool tests. Stool evaluations can detect parasitic infections that affect your eosinophil count, such as hookworm.
• Imaging tests. Chest X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans and echocardiograms help evaluate the condition of your heart, abdomen and lungs.

Determining the cause of your HES

If you've been diagnosed with HES, these tests may help determine the cause:

• Blood screening. This test can reveal a genetic mutation known as FIP1L1-PDGFRA, which can cause hypereosinophilic syndrome.
• Bone marrow biopsy. If your blood screen is negative for a genetic mutation, this test may be considered. Biopsies are also useful because they help exclude the possibility of other conditions.