ACQUIRED AGAMMAGLOBULINEMIA

Abstract

Bruton¹ described the first case of agammaglobulinemia in 1952. In the same year the occurrence of the disease in three children was reported.² Nine cases have been reported by Janeway and his associates.³ Since these patients were all boys, the disease was believed to be sex linked and congenital. All had had recurrent infections since infancy. Pyoderma, purulent conjunctivitis, otitis media, purulent sinusitis, pneumonia, meningitis, and purulent arthritis were noted. These infections responded promptly to antibiotics but recurred soon after the therapy was discontinued. An 8-year-old boy had 18 attacks of pneumococcic sepsis; at various occasions eight different types of pneumococci were cultured from his blood.¹ This child, as well as other persons with agammaglobulinemia, was found to be unable to produce antibodies to pneumococci. The Schick test remained positive after a series of injections of diphtheria toxoid. Other patients proved to be unable to produce