25-year-old African American woman comes to the physician with recent onset of diffuse joint pain and a rash on
her face. She is not taking any medications. The patient is found to have low-range proteinuria and abnormal
urinary sediment. Her creatinine is 1.3 mg/dL. Renal biopsy findings are consistent with focal proliferative
glomerulonephritis. Her complete blood count results are as follows:
Hemoglobin 10.8 g/dL
Platelets 60,000/μ L
Leukocyte 2,500/μL
Which of the following is the most likely cause of the thrombocytopenia in this patient?
- 0 A. Abnormal splenic sequestration
- 0 B. Bone marrow invasion by malignancy
- 0 C. Dilutional cytopenia
- 0 D. Ineffective hematopoiesis
- 0 E. Peripheral destruction
0 voters