Duodenal pathologies in children: a single-center experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Gastrointestinal Pathology

Background:

• Limited research exists on duodenal pathologies in children compared to stomach and esophageal conditions.
• Understanding these conditions is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment in pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological features of duodenal pathologies in children.
• To determine the prevalence and etiological factors of duodenal diseases in the pediatric population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 747 children (aged 1-17 years) who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
• Data collected included demographics, clinical presentation, endoscopic findings, and histopathology, focusing on duodenal pathology, gastritis, and esophagitis.

Main Results:

• Duodenal pathology was identified in 30.3% of pediatric patients.
• Patients with duodenal pathology exhibited significantly higher rates of chronic diarrhea (OR: 3.91) and a higher prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection (59.3%).
• Esophageal and gastric pathologies were also common, present in 31.6% and 58.4% of patients, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Duodenal pathology is a significant finding in pediatric endoscopy, affecting nearly one-third of patients.
• Chronic diarrhea and Helicobacter pylori infection are strongly associated with duodenal pathologies in children.
• The study highlights a higher-than-expected rate of H. pylori infection and a weak correlation between endoscopic and histological findings in duodenitis.