[Clinical features and prognosis associated risk factors analysis of non-eosinophilic esophagitis eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases in children].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and prognosis associated risk factors of non-eosinophilic esophagitis eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (non-EoE EGID) in children. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Clinical data, including symptoms, laboratory test results, endoscopic findings, treatment and prognosis of 48 children diagnosed with non-EoE EGID at Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from May 2015 to March 2023 were collected. Patients were grouped according to the eosinophils (EOS) diagnostic threshold of new guideline for non-EoE EGID. Independent sample t tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, chi-squared test or Fisher exact test were used for intergroup comparisons. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curve of disease recurrence in children with non-EoE EGID. Log-Rank test and the proportional hazards model were respectively used for univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. Results: Of the 48 children with non-EoE EGID, there were 38 males and 10 females. Twenty-six patients (54%) with onset age >6-10 years accounted for the highest proportion. The most common symptom was abdominal pain, occurring in 34 patients (71%). Laboratory test results showed that 32 patients (67%) had increased EOS count in peripheral blood. A total of 35 imaging examination showed thickened intestinal wall in 17 patients (49%) and bowel dilatation in 3 patients (9%). Twenty-five patients (52%) received glucocorticoid treatment. The serum albumin level in the high diagnostic threshold group was lower than that in the low diagnostic threshold group (Z=2.17, P=0.030), no statistically significant difference was found in other clinical characteristics (all P>0.05). The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year recurrence-free survival rates for non-EoE EGID children were (81±6)%, (81±6)%, and (44±13)% respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that bowel dilatation (HR=5.87, 95%CI 1.06-32.48) was an independent predictor of disease recurrence. Conclusions: A higher proportion of non-EoE EGID patients are male. The most common symptom is abdominal pain, and the peripheral blood EOS counts are often elevated. Among children with non-EoE EGID, those with higher pathological EOS counts have lower serum albumin levels. Bowel dilatation is a risk factor for disease recurrence in non-EoE EGID children.