Long-Term Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Turkish Archives of Pediatrics, cilt.60, sa.5, ss.524-530, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 60 Sayı: 5
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.5152/turkarchpediatr.2025.25097
- Dergi Adı: Turkish Archives of Pediatrics
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.524-530
- Anahtar Kelimeler: COVID-19 pandemic, disease activity, long-term follow-up, pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis, treatment adherence
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objective: Although a limited number of studies have assessed the impact of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on adults with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), there are no data on children. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with EoE, including long-term follow-up, treatment adherence, COVID-19 infection, and vaccination status. Materials and Methods: Treatment adherence, symptoms, and endoscopic-pathological findings were compared at the beginning and the end of the first and second years of the pan-demic. The COVID-19 infection and vaccination status were also assessed. Results: The study included 66 children (median age 13.2 years) with EoE. Both treatment adherence and endoscopic follow-up decreased significantly during the pandemic compared to the beginning (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively). No strictures were observed. Twenty-two patients underwent endoscopy both before and during the pandemic, showing increased total eosinophilic esophagitis endoscopic reference score (EREFS) and peak eosinophil counts (P = .045 and P = .08, respectively). Among children aged 12 and older, 66% were vaccinated against COVID-19. Infection with COVID-19 was detected in 24 children (36.3%), with asymp-tomatic or mild symptoms in 95.8% of cases. Conclusion: No strictures developed during the first 2 years of the pandemic in children with EoE. However, increased tissue eosinophilia and EREFS scores suggest a possible risk of fibro-stenosis if treatment adherence remains low. Eosinophilic esophagitis does not seem to pose an increased risk for COVID-19 infection in children.