Assessing the Risk Factors for Refractory Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Children and Adults

Table 1

Pediatric population characteristics (group A).

Variable	Responder patients (no. 30, 66.7%)	Refractory EoE patients (no. 15, 33.3%)
Age at the diagnosis (mean age)	9.13	8.93
Sex	22 M, 8 F	8 M, 7 F
Number of flare-ups (, % pts)
	Diagnosis’ delay from time of the symptom onset (mean in years)	1.48	2.03
	Follow-up (mean in years)	5.18	4.73
	Symptoms at the onset of EoE	Epigastric/abdominal
Esophageal		Esophageal
		Epigastric/abdominal
Accidental		Accidental
Endoscopic findings at diagnosis		Exudative/hyperemic	Exudative/hyperemic
		Stenosis/
	Stenosis/
	Food allergy	20 pts	11 pts
PR-
		Tree
Tree
Allergy to inhalants		18 pts	9 pts
		House dust	House dust
		Seasonality of symptoms	5 pts	4 pts
		Pharmacological therapy at diagnosis	25 pts	11 pts
			Fluticasone+	Fluticasone+
			Only	Only
				Only
Dietetic therapy	21 pts	11 pts
		Elimination
	Elimination
Oral steroids	5 pts	6 pts
Endoscopic dilatation	2 pts	1 pt
Therapy in case of flare-up		Elimination
		Fluticasone+
		Oral
Maternal breastfeeding	17 pts	9 pts
Repeated use of antibiotic therapy during infancy	15 pts	10 pts
VAS at the diagnosis (mean)	7.93	8.66
VAS at the follow-up (mean)	1.73	3.26

Note: 4 patients underwent double therapies in case of refractory EoE.