How high does the white blood cell count have to be to be dangerous?
Disease description:
I am a 28-year-old female. My doctor told me that my white blood cell count is high. I would like to ask, how high does the white blood cell count need to be before it becomes dangerous?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Liu Feng
In general, a white blood cell count exceeding the normal range (typically (4–10) × 10^9/L) suggests a potential abnormality. However, assessing the risk is not based solely on the absolute value of the white blood cell count; it must be evaluated in combination with clinical symptoms, other test results, and the patient's overall health status.
In certain situations, such as acute or chronic leukemia, an extremely high white blood cell count (e.g., exceeding 150 × 10^9/L) may lead to hyperleukocytosis syndrome. This condition can cause leukemic cells to become lodged in the capillary walls of the lungs or brain, resulting in localized ischemia and hypoxia, increased vascular permeability, and clinically significant complications such as adult respiratory distress syndrome, retinal hemorrhage, or intracranial hemorrhage, which can be life-threatening. In such cases, most patients require urgent treatment, often involving interventions such as cytoreduction using a blood cell separator.
