Table 1

Characteristic features of meningococcal disease in patients with complement deficiency

FeatureComment
A finding of any of these features should prompt testing of complement function.
Unusual serogroupInfection with an unusual serogroup organism such as W135 is strongly suggestive of complement deficiency
Recurrent diseaseThis seems to be particularly associated with terminal complement component deficiency
Family historyComplement deficiency inheritance is usually autosomal recessive or X linked (see text)