congenital hypogammaglobulinemia [L, congenitus, born with; Gk, hypo, deficiency, gamma, third letter of Greek alphabet; L, globus, small globe, haima, blood] , a genetic disease characterized by a deficiency of gamma globulin and antibody in the serum. The cause may be a genetic defect leading to a failure of development of a normal beta-lymphocyte system and immune responses.
