A RARE FORM OF CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS-DISEASE (TYPE IVA) PRESENTING ASINFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Neutrophil dysfunction syndromes can sometimes mimic the clinical and pathological features of inflammatory bowel disease. The case of a 3.5 -year-old boy with chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, poor growth since infancy and microcytic, hypochromic anemia is presented. After an ext ensive diagnostic evaluation, he was found to have a rare variant (typ e IVA) of chronic granulomatous disease. His gastro-intestinal symptom s markedly improved during therapy with gamma-interferon. Chronic gran ulomatous disease can present initially with a clinical picture sugges tive of chronic intestinal inflammation. Therefore it should be consid ered in the differential diagnosis of atypical inflammatory bowel dise ase, both in children and young adults.