Primary Immunodeficiencies

Published on 05/03/2015 by admin

Filed under Dermatology

Last modified 22/04/2025

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[level-membership-for-dermatology-category]49

Primary Immunodeficiencies

• Heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by immune system defects that result in increased susceptibility to various infections, often with additional manifestations such as autoimmunity, allergy, and risk of malignancy.

• The genetic basis has been determined for >150 primary immunodeficiencies.

• Many immunodeficiency syndromes present with dermatologic findings that can facilitate early diagnosis (Table 49.1; Figs. 49.1–49.8); these features may be divided into three categories:

– Recurrent, severe, atypical or recalcitrant mucocutaneous infections, most often with Staphylococcus aureus, Candida spp., and human papillomaviruses.

– Patterns of cutaneous inflammation that are shared by several immunodeficiencies, e.g. eczematous dermatitis, non-infectious granulomas, lupus erythematosus-like lesions, small vessel vasculitis, and ulcers.

– More specific skin findings suggestive of particular disorders, e.g. oculocutaneous telangiectasias in ataxia telangiectasia and maternofetal GVHD in severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID).

• In addition to extracutaneous infections with unusual organisms and increased frequency (e.g. pneumonia ≥2 times or otitis media ≥4 times yearly) or severity, signs of immunodeficiency in children may include failure to thrive, chronic diarrhea, lymphadenopathy (or lack of expected lymph nodes), and hepatosplenomegaly.

• The primary feature of some immunodeficiency disorders is lymphoproliferation due to immune dysregulation (e.g. familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, X-linked and autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndromes), whereas others involve predisposition to a specific type of infection, such as severe mycobacterial infections with defects in the IL-12/interferon-γ axis.

• Initial laboratory evaluation for patients suspected to have an immunodeficiency is outlined in Table 49.2.

Hyperimmunoglobulin E Syndromes (HIESs)

For further information see Ch. 60. From Dermatology, Third Edition.

[/level-membership-for-dermatology-category][not-level-membership-for-dermatology-category]49

Primary Immunodeficiencies

• Heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by immune system defects that result in increased susceptibility to various infections, often with additional manifestations such as autoimmunity, allergy, and risk of malignancy.

• The genetic basis has been determined for >150 primary immunodeficiencies.

• Many immunodeficiency syndromes present with dermatologic findings that can facilitate early diagnosis (Table 49.1; Figs. 49.1–49.8); these features may be divided into three categories:

– Recurrent, severe, atypical or recalcitrant mucocutaneous infections, most often with Staphylococcus aureus, Candida spp., and human papillomaviruses.

– Patterns of cutaneous inflammation that are shared by several immunodeficiencies, e.g. eczematous dermatitis, non-infectious granulomas, lupus erythematosus-like lesions, small vessel vasculitis, and ulcers.

– More specific skin findings suggestive of particular disorders, e.g. oculocutaneous telangiectasias in ataxia telangiectasia and maternofetal GVHD in severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID).