A First Case Report of DiGeorge Syndrome from Ethiopia Highlights Challenges in Identifying and Treating Children with Primary T-Cell Deficiencies in Low Resource Settings

Background. Cellular primary immunodeficiencies are rarely reported from Africa. DiGeorge syndrome is a commonly recognized form of a congenital T-cell deficiency. The disorder is characterized by hypoplastic or aplastic thymus, hypocalcemia, recurrent infections, and other associated congenital def...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tinsae Alemayehu, Solomie Jebessa Deribessa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Immunology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8157212
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Summary:Background. Cellular primary immunodeficiencies are rarely reported from Africa. DiGeorge syndrome is a commonly recognized form of a congenital T-cell deficiency. The disorder is characterized by hypoplastic or aplastic thymus, hypocalcemia, recurrent infections, and other associated congenital defects. Case Report. We report an eleven-month-old infant presenting with recurrent chest and diarrheal infections, failure to thrive, lymphopenia, hypocalcemia, and hypoplastic thymus on imaging. A diagnosis of DiGeorge syndrome was confirmed after determining very low CD3 and CD4 levels. Conclusions. We describe the first case report of an Ethiopian child with a congenital T-cell immunodeficiency. We have outlined essentials for diagnosis and management of cellular primary immunodeficiency disorders in low resource settings.
ISSN:2090-6609
2090-6617