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Lymphocytic esophagitis in children

Lisa M Sutton1, D Dyer Heintz, Ashish S Patel

  • 1Department of *Pathology and †Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas; and Departments of ‡Pathology and §Pediatrics, Children's Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, Texas.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
|July 2, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Lymphocytic esophagitis (LE) is more common in children and significantly associated with Crohn's disease (CD). This study reviewed pediatric esophageal biopsies to confirm LE prevalence and clinical links in children.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Pediatric Pathology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Lymphocytic esophagitis (LE) is defined by increased intraepithelial lymphocytes in esophageal biopsies.
  • Previous studies suggest a link between LE and Crohn's disease (CD) in pediatric patients.
  • A comprehensive review of a large pediatric cohort is needed to establish LE prevalence and associations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of lymphocytic esophagitis (LE) in a pediatric cohort.
  • To investigate the clinical associations of LE in children, particularly its relationship with Crohn's disease (CD).

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective review of all esophageal biopsies from a tertiary care pediatric center over one year.
  • Blinded histologic assessment to identify LE cases based on lymphocyte counts.
  • Independent clinical data review by a pediatric gastroenterologist for identified LE cases.

Main Results:

  • Lymphocytic esophagitis (LE) was identified in 5.7% of pediatric patients.
  • A significant association was found between LE and Crohn's disease (CD) (19% of LE patients had CD).
  • LE was more prevalent in patients with CD (12.2%) compared to those without CD (5.0%).

Conclusions:

  • Lymphocytic esophagitis (LE) appears more prevalent in children than adults.
  • LE shows a significant association with Crohn's disease (CD) in the pediatric population.
  • Further research may elucidate the specific mechanisms underlying the LE-CD association in children.
Abstract

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