What is the typical presentation of a patient with lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning typically presents with low hemoglobin and microcytic anemia. This occurs because lead interferes with the body's ability to produce hemoglobin, leading to impaired incorporation of iron into heme. Consequently, patients often develop anemia characterized by smaller than normal red blood cells (microcytic) due to the disruption in hemoglobin synthesis.

In addition to anemia, lead exposure can also result in basophilic stippling of red blood cells, which is a manifestation of impaired hemoglobin production and reflects the toxic effects of lead on red blood cell precursors in the bone marrow. Patients may also present with neurological symptoms or abdominal pain, but the hematological effects, particularly the microcytic anemia, are key indicators in diagnosing lead poisoning.

The other options represent conditions not typically associated with lead poisoning: high platelet count with leukocytosis are more indicative of a different hematologic issue, elevated calcium levels are not seen with lead toxicity, and an increased reticulocyte count could occur in response to various anemias but is not a definitive feature of lead poisoning specifically.