PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Philip Wood
ED  - Turner-Stokes, Lynne
ED  - Higgins, Bernard
TI  - Primary antibody deficiencies: recognition, clinical diagnosis and referral of patients
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.9-6-595
DP  - 2009 Dec 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 595--599
VI  - 9
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/9/6/595.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/9/6/595.full
SO  - Clin Med2009 Dec 01; 9
AB  - The primary antibody deficiency syndromes are a rare group of immunodeficiencies where diagnostic delay remains common due to limited awareness of the existence and heterogeneity of their presenting features. Referral for specialist assessment leads to earlier diagnosis and appropriate therapy to prevent or limit structural organ and tissue damage. Greater education of healthcare professionals is required to ensure prompt recognition and referral to specialists with expertise in the care of primary immunodeficiencies, especially since study of these rare conditions is a minor part of undergraduate and general postgraduate training. Greater awareness would lead to reduced morbidity, improved quality of life and survival outcomes in this patient group.