Transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy (THI) is originally defined as a physiological maturation defect of immunoglobulin G (IgG) production that occurs at 3-6 months of age and lasts until 18 to 36 months of age. We report here on a 22-month-old child with THI and IgA deficiency, who had massive pneumococcal empyema. Her depressed IgG level returned to normal within 6 months, but IgA level was still low at 6 yr of age. Although THI is an age-dependent and self-limiting disorder, severe infection that includes an atypical presentation of an infection may occur in some patients and this requires evaluation with immunologic study.
Agammaglobulinemia/complications/*diagnosis/immunology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Ceftriaxone/therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Empyema, Pleural/*diagnosis/etiology/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; IgA Deficiency/*diagnosis/immunology ; Immunoglobulin A/blood ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Infant ; Staphylococcal Infections/*diagnosis/drug therapy/microbiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed