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Last reviewed: 19 Mar 2025
Last updated: 01 Apr 2022

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presence of risk factors
  • history of prior infections
  • shortness of breath
  • perianal pain
  • flank pain
  • red skin lesion
  • abnormal chest examination
  • rigors
  • fever
  • chronic lymphadenopathy
  • poor growth
  • joint pain
  • facial pain
  • chorioretinal lesions
  • skin scarring

Other diagnostic factors

  • fatigue
  • diarrhoea
  • abdominal pain
  • cough
  • anorexia
  • arthralgias
  • nausea and vomiting
  • bloody urine
  • abnormal urinary flow
  • hepatosplenomegaly
  • family history of discoid lupus
  • oral ulcer
  • skin rash

Risk factors

  • family history of CGD
  • age <5 years
  • male sex
  • abnormally skewed X chromosome inactivation in X-linked carriers
  • myeloperoxidase and FCgammaRIIIb polymorphisms

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • FBC
  • ESR
  • CRP
  • faecal calprotectin
  • CT chest
  • CT or ultrasound for active infection
  • whole body PET scan with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)
  • MRI scan
  • colonoscopy
  • pulmonary function tests
  • nitroblue tetrazolium test (NBT)
  • dihydrorhodamine (DHR) 123 test

Investigations to consider

  • genetic sequencing for genes encoding NADPH oxidase components
  • Western blotting
  • flow cytometric analysis of individual NADPH oxidase components

Treatment algorithm

Contributors

Authors

David Lowe, MA, MB Bchir, PhD, FRCP

Consultant Clinical Immunologist

The Royal Free Hospital

London

UK

Disclosures

DL has received travel and subsistence costs for consultancy work from CSL Behring and has participated in an advisory board for Merck.

Acknowledgements

Dr David Lowe would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Adrian Thrasher, Dr Rebecca A. Marsh, and Dr Jack J. Bleesing, previous contributors to this topic. AT is an author of a number of references cited in this topic. RAM and JJB declare that they have no competing interests. Dr Rebecca A. Marsh and Dr Jack J. Bleesing wish to thank Dan Marmer, Carrie Koenig, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Clinical Diagnostic Immunology Lab. They also wish to thank Steven M. Holland, MD, Thomas Fleisher, MD, and Anthony Segal, MD, PhD, for helpful correspondence.

Peer reviewers

Steven M. Holland, MD

Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

NIH

Bethesda

MD

Disclosures

SMH declares that he has no competing interests.

Andrew Gennery, MD

Reader in Paediatric Immunology & HSCT

Institute of Cellular Medicine

Medical School

Newcastle University

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

UK

Disclosures

AG is an author of a reference cited in this topic. AG declares that he has no competing interests.

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