Home > Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders > Severe combined immunodeficiency

Definition

SCID, or severe combined immunodeficiency, is a group of rare, life-threatening diseases present at birth that impair the immune system. Without a healthy immune system the body cannot fight infections and individuals can easily become seriously ill from common infections.

Description

SCID is one type of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PID) and is considered the most severe. There are approximately 70 forms of PID. Primary immunodeficiency diseases are where a person is missing a component of the immune system—either an organ or cells of the immune sytem. Some deficiencies are deadly, while others are mild.

SCID is also known as the "boy in the bubble" syndrome, because living in a normal enviroment can be fatal. SCID initially was called Swiss agammaglobulinemia...