Etymed
leukapheresis
Definition
A medical procedure for removing white blood cells from the blood
Clinical context
A 45-year-old woman with severe autoimmune neutropenia requires leukapheresis to reduce her extremely elevated white blood cell count from 250,000/μL to prevent complications from hyperleukocytosis. The procedure helps manage her condition by selectively removing excess white blood cells from circulation.
Mnemonic
LEUK-apheresis = LEUK-ocytes removed, not platelets or RBCs