Otolaryngologic manifestations of chronic granulomatous disease

Patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) have a greatly increased incidence of infection, particularly in the region of the head and neck. For this reason the health care team treating the patient with CGD often includes an otolaryngologist. Because the disease process is associated with an altered host defense mechanism, standard medical and surgical plans must often be modified. In this paper, a representative case is presented illustrating the symptoms, clinical course, and therapeutic regimen of a typical patient. The necessity for aggressive treatment is emphasized.