Adam, a once active normal three-year old boy, was experiencing increasing bouts of lethargy and began to regress developmentally.His mother scheduled an appointment with his pediatrician, who ordered a number of different blood tests.The most notable blood test result that piqued the physician's interest was a pronounced eosinophilia.Which of the following would be most likely to cause this abnormality?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eosinophilia, an elevation in the number of eosinophils in the blood, is often seen in response to parasitic infections. Therefore, infection with a parasitic helminth is the most likely cause of this abnormality in Adam's blood test. The other options listed may also cause eosinophilia, but they are less common than parasitic helminth infections.

Adam, a Once Active Normal Three-Year Old Boy, Was Experiencing