Reticular dysgenesis in a preterm infant: a case report

Reticular dysgenesis (RD) is a rare congenital immunodeficiency classified within the severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCIDs) and characterized by impairment of both lymphoid and myeloid cell development. Neutropenia unresponsive to recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rGCSF) is the hallmark of RD and the clinical course is rapidly fatal due to overwhelming infections. The authors report a female newborn at 32 weeks of gestation presenting with severe leukopenia at birth. The bone marrow showed a maturation arrest in the myeloid and lymphoid lineage. She had no response to granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rGCSF) treatment and died with sepsis at age of 2 months.