Basophils may be counted by machines or by a technician doing a manual differential or
"manual diff". This involves taking a drop of blood and making a smear
on a slide. It is allowed to dry, then stained with Diff Quick stain.
Once the stain has dried the slide is viewed under a microscope and
evaluated for red and white blood cell morphology as well as a count of
100 white blood cells to determine what percent of cells are of each WBC
type including monocytes.
Basophils are rare. If you see one while looking at a slide, consider yourself lucky. If you hear someone else say they found one, ask to see it. I have yet to see a basophil myself.
Below is a photo of a normal basophil:
Basophils are associated with
eosinophils and mast cells, but their use on a CBC is limited due to how rare they are. The causes of their increase are unknown, but usually associated with eosinophilia, or an increase in
eosinophils as well.
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