Objectives: Studies suggest an association between celiac disease (CD) and esophageal eosinophilia (EsEo)/ eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Our objectives were to characterize our cohort of pediatric patients with CD+EsEo and describe the incidence of EsEo in our CD patients.
Methods: In this retrospective study, medical records of children with CD+EsEo or isolated EoE diagnosed between 2000-2014 were compared to patients with isolated CD or epigastric pain who underwent upper endoscopy between 6/2011- 11/2014. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and histopathological data were retrieved.
Results: We identified 17 patients with combined CD+EsEo, 46 with isolated EoE, 302 with isolated CD and 247 with epigastric pain. CD+EsEo was diagnosed at an age similar to isolated CD but younger than EoE (p<0.05). CD+EsEo were usually males (64.7%) as in EoE (78%) but not CD (36%) (p<0.05). Personal/ family history of atopy, eosinophilia and esophageal white papules seen during endoscopy were more frequent in CD+EsEo and EoE than in isolated CD (p<0.05). Anemia and autoimmune conditions were more common in CD+EsEo and isolated CD. CD+EsEo patients usually presented with symptoms typical of CD, rather than those of classic EoE. Clinical history and laboratory test results did not adequately differentiate combined CD+EsEo from isolated CD. EsEo was as frequent in CD (3.53%; 11/311) as it was in epigastric pain (2.81%; 7/249) p=0.81.
Conclusion: CD+EsEo share the classical traits of both CD and EoE ,except presenting symptoms, which were typical of CD. EsEo was not significantly more frequent in CD than in children with epigastric pain.
