Pulmonary disease in the immunocompromised child.

Immune deficiency states in children may be related to primary immunodeficiency syndromes or secondary disorders of the immune system. The secondary immunodeficiencies in children include human immunodeficiency virus-associated acquired immunodeficiency, as well as immunosuppression secondary to antineoplastic chemotherapeutic agents, bone marrow transplantation, and drugs given to prevent transplant rejection. This article discusses the common primary and secondary immunocompromised states of childhood, with emphasis on their attendant infectious, lymphoproliferative, and neoplastic complications.