Dr. Hana Neibur: Chronic granulomatous disease is an immune deficiency, where white blood cells don’t quite work right. It’s just one group of white blood cells called the neutrophils.

Dr. Nicholas Hartog: And those neutrophils are going to be one of the first line of defenses against bacteria, fungus, and different invaders into your body.

Dr. Artemio Jongco: The most common form is X-linked CGD, which accounts for about two-thirds of all the cases. The autosomal forms of CGD are usually considered not to be as serious, but all forms of CGD can be potentially life threatening.

[Dr. Hana Neibur:] CGD is a genetic disease, which means it’s passed down from parents to children.

[Dr. Nicholas Hartog:] One of the most common forms of CGD is what we call X-linked. And in those forms, women are carriers of the disease, and there’s about a 50/50 chance any son that they have will have the disease.

Dr. Hana Neibur:] I think it’s normal to feel guilty about passing down genetic diseases. Genetic diseases happen. They’re nobody’s fault.

[Dr. Nicholas Hartog:] As far as environmental things that we need to do to prevent diseases, there’s avoiding playing in mulch, any wood chips we don’t play in, we don’t jump in leaves. Sources like that have been areas that have been identified to have sources of fungus that they can be infected with.

[Dr. Artemio Jongco:] But that doesn’t mean your child can’t go out and play with his or her friends.

[Dr. Nicholas Hartog:] It really is important to know that this is a chronic disease that will be lifelong and that we need to be treating it lifelong.

[Dr. Hana Neibur:] What helps decrease, particularly, the frequency of infections, are taking medications on a daily basis to prevent infections.

[Dr. Nicholas Neibur:] The first preventative therapy is what we call triple therapy, which ends up being a subcutaneous injection called interferon. Another oral antibiotic and an oral antifungal are really the core of treatment for patients with CGD.

[Dr. Artemio Jongco:] It’s no joke when you have to take medications regularly. It’s no fun, but we have to do it to improve your quality of life.

Dr. Hana Neibur:] Life with CGD is going to look different. There are certain things you have to do, like take your medicines.

[Dr. Artemio Jongco:] With appropriate precautions and appropriate planning, the patient with CGD can continue to live a happy and fulfilling life. There’s no doubt about that.