Immune deficiency: office evaluation and treatment.

[]

Congenital deficiencies of the immune system occur in children or adults and can cause severe or recurrent infections . The overall incidence of these immunodeficiency diseases is estimated at approximately 1 in 10 ,000 , excluding selective immunoglobulin A deficiency , but this estimation is based on population studies , not hospital or clinic populations . The majority of immune defects involve antibody production ; these immune deficiencies are found more often in adults than infants and children . In an allergy practice , recurrent infections are common , and determining if an immune defect is likely to be present can be problematic . Some guidelines concerning the clinical presentation and laboratory evaluation and treatment options can aid the practicing clinician .