ROSH Gastrointestinal Practice Exam

A group of lab results showing decreased WBC, RBC, and platelets commonly occurs after which condition?

1. Acute hepatitis

2. Chronic kidney disease

3. Severe liver cirrhosis

4. Diverticulitis

The correct answer is: Acute hepatitis

The condition that commonly leads to decreased levels of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), and platelets is severe liver disease, particularly seen in severe liver cirrhosis. In cirrhosis, the liver's ability to produce important proteins, including those involved in blood formation and regulation, is significantly impaired. This dysfunction leads to what's known as hypersplenism, a condition in which the spleen becomes enlarged and sequesters more blood cells, reducing their overall levels in circulation. Acute hepatitis can certainly lead to variations in liver function and potentially impact blood cell production, but it is less commonly associated with the uniform decrease across all three blood cell lines (WBC, RBC, platelet) compared to severe liver cirrhosis. Chronic kidney disease typically leads to anemia due to decreased erythropoietin production, but it would not necessarily cause a decrease in WBCs and platelets. Diverticulitis primarily affects the colon and is typically associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and localized inflammation rather than widespread blood cell line decreases. Thus, severe liver cirrhosis is the condition most explicitly connected to the simultaneous reduction of WBC, RBC, and platelets due to the profound effects on hemat