Chédiak-Higashi syndrome- MedGen UID:
- 3347
- •Concept ID:
- C0007965
- •
- Disease or Syndrome
Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) is characterized by partial oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), immunodeficiency, a mild bleeding tendency, and late adolescent- to adult-onset neurologic manifestations (e.g., learning difficulties, peripheral neuropathy, ataxia, and parkinsonism). While present in nearly all individuals with CHS, these clinical findings vary in severity. Of note, all individuals with CHS are at risk of developing neurologic manifestations and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Individuals with severe childhood-onset presentations are considered to have "classic" CHS, whereas individuals with milder adolescent- to adult-onset presentations are considered to have "atypical" CHS. Because of the considerable overlap between classic CHS and atypical CHS, the disorder is best understood as a continuum of severe to milder phenotypes, with the universal feature being the pathognomonic giant granules within leukocytes observed on peripheral blood smear.