Clinical and therapeutic comparison of eosinophilic esophagitis in the pediatric and adult population in Colombia: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

AIM: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease with increasing prevalence and incidence worldwide. The objective was to determine the differences in epidemiological, clinical, and treatment characteristics between pediatric and adult patients with EoE in Colombia.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted with two independent cohorts of pediatric and adult patients at multiple Colombian centers.

RESULTS

286 patients with EoE were analyzed, 143 children and 143 adults, with a predominance of males (61.9%). Regarding symptom onset and time to diagnosis, adults sought medical attention earlier than children (<6 months: 42.0% vs. 22.8%, p=0.014). Adults presented with more dysphagia (70.0% vs. 32.2%, P <0.001) and food impaction (21.0% vs. 2.8%, P <0.001), and less weight loss (4.2% vs. 25.7%, P <0.001), compared to children. Regarding treatment, adults received more proton pump inhibitors (87.4% vs. 41.1%, p <0.001) and more topical steroids (29.4% vs. 16.1%, p=0.07) than children. The use of systemic corticosteroids was very low in both groups (1.4% vs. 2.8%, p=0.684). There were no significant differences in dietary treatment (40.0% vs. 32.9%, p=0.797).

CONCLUSIONS

Eosinophilic esophagitis in Colombia affects both children and adults and shows clear differences in allergic history, clinical presentation, and treatment strategies. These findings highlight variability in clinical practice between pediatric and adult gastroenterologists within the national context.