Chronic Granulomatous Disease

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) was first described in the 1950s and has become a paradigm for genetic neutrophil diseases. It is characterized by recurrent infections with a narrow spectrum of bacteria and fungi as well as a common set of inflammatory complications most notably including inflammatory bowel disease. Over the last half century major advances in management have profoundly altered the major clinical issues and the life expectancy of CGD. With X-linked and autosomal recessive forms, it has been an important disease for the development of bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy. Some of the recent developments in infectious syndromes, inflammatory complications, and curative approaches are discussed in this review.