BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuChronic granulomatous diseaseCGD; Fatal granulomatosis of childhood; Chronic granulomatous disease of childhood; Progressive septic granulomatosis; Phagocyte deficiency - chronic granulomatous diseaseChronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disorder in which certain immune system cells do not function properly. This leads to repeated and severe infections. Causes In CGD, immune system cells called phagocytes are unable to kill some types of bacteria and fungi. This disorder leads to long-term (chronic) and repeated (recurrent) infections. The condition is often discovered very early in childhood. Milder forms may be diagnosed during the teenage years, or even in adulthood.ChronicChronic refers to something that continues over an extended period of time. A chronic condition is usually long-lasting and does not easily or quick...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Risk factors include a family history of recurrent or chronic infections.About half of CGD cases are passed down through families as a sex-linked recessive trait. This means that boys are more likely to get the disorder than girls. The defective gene is carried on the X chromosome. Boys have 1 X chromosome and 1 Y chromosome. If a boy has an X chromosome with the defective gene, he may inherit this condition. Girls have 2 X chromosomes. If a girl has 1 X chromosome with the defective gene, the other X chromosome may have a working gene to make up for it. A girl must inherit the defective X gene from each parent in order to have the disease.Sex-linked recessive traitSex-linked diseases are passed down through families through one of the X or Y chromosomes. X and Y are sex chromosomes. Dominant inheritance occur...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms CGD can cause many types of skin infections that are hard to treat, including:Blisters or sores on the face (impetigo) Eczema EczemaAtopic dermatitis is a long-term (chronic) skin disorder that involves scaly and itchy rashes. It is a type of eczema. Other forms of eczema include...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Growths filled with pus (abscesses) Pus-filled lumps in the skin (boils)CGD can also cause:Persistent diarrhea Swollen lymph nodes in the neck Swollen lymph nodesLymph nodes are present throughout your body. They are an important part of your immune system. Lymph nodes help your body recognize and fight germ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Lung infections, such as pneumonia or lung abscessAbscessAn abscess is a collection of pus in any part of the body. In most cases, the area around an abscess is swollen and inflamed.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests The health care provider will do an examination and may find:Liver swelling Spleen swelling Swollen lymph nodesThere may be signs of a bone infection, which may affect many bones.Tests that may be done include:Bone scan Bone scanA bone scan is an imaging test used to diagnose bone diseases and find out how severe they are.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Complete blood count (CBC) Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Flow cytometry tests to help confirm the disease Genetic testing to confirm the diagnosis Test of white blood cell function Tissue biopsyBiopsyA biopsy is the removal of a small piece of tissue for laboratory examination.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by this condition. Chronic use of antibiotics may prevent infections. A medicine called interferon-gamma may also help reduce the number of severe infections. Surgery may be needed to treat some abscesses.The only cure for CGD is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Outlook (Prognosis) Long-term antibiotic treatments may help reduce infections, but early death can occur from repeated lung infections. Possible Complications CGD may cause these complications: Bone damage and infections Chronic infections in the nose Pneumonia that keeps coming back and is hard to cure Lung damage Skin damage Swollen lymph nodes that stay swollen, occur often, or form abscesses that need surgery to drain them When to Contact a Medical Professional If you or your child has this condition and you suspect pneumonia or another infection, contact your provider right away.Tell your provider if a lung, skin, or other infection does not respond to treatment. Prevention Genetic counseling is recommended if you are planning to have children and you have a family history of this disease. Advances in genetic screening and increasing use of chorionic villus sampling (a test that may be done during a woman's 10th to 12th week of pregnancy) have made early detection of CGD possible.Genetic counselingGenetics is the study of heredity, the process of a parent passing certain genes on to their children. A person's appearance, such as height, hair co...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chorionic villus samplingChorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a test some pregnant women have to screen their baby for genetic problems.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesCunningham-Rundles C. Primary immunodeficiency diseases. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 236.Holland SM, Uzel G. Neutrophils and neutrophil disorders. In: Rich RR, Fleisher TA, Schroeder HW, Weyand CM, Corry DB, Puck JM, eds. Clinical Immunology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 39.AllVideoImagesTogA Closer Look Crohn disease - InDepth(In-Depth) Tests for Chronic granulomatous disease Nitroblue tetrazolium blood testRelated Information Chronic(Special Topic)Impetigo(Condition)Abscess(Condition)Community-acquired pneumonia in adults(Condition)Swelling(Symptoms)Pneumonia - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 12/4/2022 Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. 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Chronic granulomatous diseaseCGD; Fatal granulomatosis of childhood; Chronic granulomatous disease of childhood; Progressive septic granulomatosis; Phagocyte deficiency - chronic granulomatous diseaseChronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disorder in which certain immune system cells do not function properly. This leads to repeated and severe infections. Causes In CGD, immune system cells called phagocytes are unable to kill some types of bacteria and fungi. This disorder leads to long-term (chronic) and repeated (recurrent) infections. The condition is often discovered very early in childhood. Milder forms may be diagnosed during the teenage years, or even in adulthood.ChronicChronic refers to something that continues over an extended period of time. A chronic condition is usually long-lasting and does not easily or quick...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Risk factors include a family history of recurrent or chronic infections.About half of CGD cases are passed down through families as a sex-linked recessive trait. This means that boys are more likely to get the disorder than girls. The defective gene is carried on the X chromosome. Boys have 1 X chromosome and 1 Y chromosome. If a boy has an X chromosome with the defective gene, he may inherit this condition. Girls have 2 X chromosomes. If a girl has 1 X chromosome with the defective gene, the other X chromosome may have a working gene to make up for it. A girl must inherit the defective X gene from each parent in order to have the disease.Sex-linked recessive traitSex-linked diseases are passed down through families through one of the X or Y chromosomes. X and Y are sex chromosomes. Dominant inheritance occur...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms CGD can cause many types of skin infections that are hard to treat, including:Blisters or sores on the face (impetigo) Eczema EczemaAtopic dermatitis is a long-term (chronic) skin disorder that involves scaly and itchy rashes. It is a type of eczema. Other forms of eczema include...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Growths filled with pus (abscesses) Pus-filled lumps in the skin (boils)CGD can also cause:Persistent diarrhea Swollen lymph nodes in the neck Swollen lymph nodesLymph nodes are present throughout your body. They are an important part of your immune system. Lymph nodes help your body recognize and fight germ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Lung infections, such as pneumonia or lung abscessAbscessAn abscess is a collection of pus in any part of the body. In most cases, the area around an abscess is swollen and inflamed.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Exams and Tests The health care provider will do an examination and may find:Liver swelling Spleen swelling Swollen lymph nodesThere may be signs of a bone infection, which may affect many bones.Tests that may be done include:Bone scan Bone scanA bone scan is an imaging test used to diagnose bone diseases and find out how severe they are.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Complete blood count (CBC) Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Flow cytometry tests to help confirm the disease Genetic testing to confirm the diagnosis Test of white blood cell function Tissue biopsyBiopsyA biopsy is the removal of a small piece of tissue for laboratory examination.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by this condition. Chronic use of antibiotics may prevent infections. A medicine called interferon-gamma may also help reduce the number of severe infections. Surgery may be needed to treat some abscesses.The only cure for CGD is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Outlook (Prognosis) Long-term antibiotic treatments may help reduce infections, but early death can occur from repeated lung infections. Possible Complications CGD may cause these complications: Bone damage and infections Chronic infections in the nose Pneumonia that keeps coming back and is hard to cure Lung damage Skin damage Swollen lymph nodes that stay swollen, occur often, or form abscesses that need surgery to drain them When to Contact a Medical Professional If you or your child has this condition and you suspect pneumonia or another infection, contact your provider right away.Tell your provider if a lung, skin, or other infection does not respond to treatment. Prevention Genetic counseling is recommended if you are planning to have children and you have a family history of this disease. Advances in genetic screening and increasing use of chorionic villus sampling (a test that may be done during a woman's 10th to 12th week of pregnancy) have made early detection of CGD possible.Genetic counselingGenetics is the study of heredity, the process of a parent passing certain genes on to their children. A person's appearance, such as height, hair co...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Chorionic villus samplingChorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a test some pregnant women have to screen their baby for genetic problems.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesCunningham-Rundles C. Primary immunodeficiency diseases. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 236.Holland SM, Uzel G. Neutrophils and neutrophil disorders. In: Rich RR, Fleisher TA, Schroeder HW, Weyand CM, Corry DB, Puck JM, eds. Clinical Immunology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 39.