Hematological complications of neonatal lupus: case report and review of the literature.

Neonatal thrombocytopenia is a common clinical problem and may be a result of maternal and/or fetal conditions. We present a young patient with thrombocytopenia as a result of neonatal lupus, a passively acquired autoimmune disease. The diagnosis was suspected on the basis of the presence of a facial rash. This case highlights the characteristic eruption of neonatal lupus and an underappreciated cause of neonatal thrombocytopenia for the pediatric hematologist. We also review the hematological complications of neonatal lupus.