Diagnoses

Sometimes, I just want to scream at people...

YOUR DIAGNOSIS IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS OR WHAT YOU KEEP CALLING IT!

Yeah, so, hypogammaglobulinemia is NOT a disease. It's a symptom. Just because it has an ICD-9 code doesn't make it a diagnosis. If you have low IgG and still respond to titers, you have selective IgG deficiency. If you have low in several immunoglobulin categories (which is the definition of hypogamma) you have CVID. Furthermore, it's hypogammaglobulinemia NOT hypogammaglobulin anemia. GAH!

I know this kind of precision doesn't matter to most people, but I think it is critical that we all at least speak the same language. If your physician has diagnosed you with this, perhaps it's time to ask some questions. If you look at the IDF website that lists every recognized primary immune deficiency, you will not see hypogammaglobulinemia on the list. It's time for more questions, people, because what you're talking about is a symptom, not the disease. This leads to confusion, etc.

Most of you that read this have noooo idea what I'm talking about. Some of you do, and some of you will differ with me. I'm talking medical literature. Your doctor could, in this case, be wrong.