Which CBC abnormalities may result from chronic enteropathy?

Which CBC abnormalities may result from chronic enteropathy?

• A. Anemia, stress leukogram, inflammatory leukogram
• B. Eosinophilia only
• C. Lymphocytosis only
• D. Thrombocytosis only

Answer: (A)

Chronic enteropathy often causes systemic changes detectable on a CBC, including anemia from ongoing inflammation and blood loss, and different leukogram patterns driven by inflammation or stress. Anemia can arise from chronic GI inflammation, potential blood loss, or inflammatory effects on iron utilization, so it’s a common CBC finding. For the white blood cells, inflammation from intestinal disease can produce an inflammatory leukogram characterized by neutrophilia with a left shift and sometimes toxic changes, reflecting active inflammation. At the same time, the body’s stress response to a chronic illness can create a stress leukogram, typically with neutrophilia and lymphopenia (and eosinopenia), which can accompany chronic enteropathy. The combination of these anemia and two leukogram patterns best captures the range of CBC abnormalities that may be seen. Eosinophilia alone, lymphocytosis alone, or thrombocytosis alone are less typical central findings for chronic enteropathy and don’t represent the broad spectrum of CBC changes this condition can cause.

Chronic enteropathy often causes systemic changes detectable on a CBC, including anemia from ongoing inflammation and blood loss, and different leukogram patterns driven by inflammation or stress. Anemia can arise from chronic GI inflammation, potential blood loss, or inflammatory effects on iron utilization, so it’s a common CBC finding. For the white blood cells, inflammation from intestinal disease can produce an inflammatory leukogram characterized by neutrophilia with a left shift and sometimes toxic changes, reflecting active inflammation. At the same time, the body’s stress response to a chronic illness can create a stress leukogram, typically with neutrophilia and lymphopenia (and eosinopenia), which can accompany chronic enteropathy. The combination of these anemia and two leukogram patterns best captures the range of CBC abnormalities that may be seen. Eosinophilia alone, lymphocytosis alone, or thrombocytosis alone are less typical central findings for chronic enteropathy and don’t represent the broad spectrum of CBC changes this condition can cause.