Cutaneous Lesions in Severe Combined Immunodeficiency: Two Case Reports and a Review of the Literature

Abstract

Two patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in whom cutaneous lesions were the first clinical feature were studied. Neither the morphology nor the histology of the lesions was uniform, although we have noted some common findings that can, in subsequent cases, lead us to suspect SCID. The immunologic defects were not uniform, representing the two poles of the spectrum of SCID. We believe that early recognition of the skin lesions is very important, since the patient's life expectancy can be increased by a bone marrow transplantation (1).

Oral and Genital Ulceration

“…1 The cutaneous manifestations reported in patients with SCID are likewise varied, ranging from recalcitrant eczematous lesions to erythroderma. 5 The diagnosis of SCID can be delayed because of the variable presentations of the disorder. Prompt diagnosis of SCID is crucial because, left untreated, the disease is fatal, usually within the first 6 months of life.…”