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Gastrointestinal involvement in childhood vasculitides
Author(s) -
Trapani Sandra,
Rubino Chiara,
Indolfi Giuseppe
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.15381
Subject(s) - medicine , vasculitis , vomiting , perforation , abdominal pain , nausea , polyarteritis nodosa , intensive care medicine , pediatrics , dermatology , kawasaki disease , disease , artery , punching , materials science , metallurgy
Aim The aim of this narrative review was to provide a comprehensive summary of the characteristics of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement in the most common paediatric primary vasculitides. Methods We used PubMed to primarily identify papers, reviews, case series and editorials published in English from 2000 until 31 January 2020. Based on this, we report the prevalence, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches and management of GI involvement in each vasculitis. Results Vasculitides are inflammatory blood vessel diseases, and the majority can affect the GI system with vascular, GI tract or solid organ involvement. GI involvement can sometimes complicate and delay the correct diagnosis. Clinical findings are usually nonspecific symptoms, such as fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Bleeding should alert paediatricians to the possibility of severe complicated vasculitis. Diagnosis relies mostly on imaging. If it goes unrecognised, GI involvement in paediatric vasculitis is a serious cause of morbidity and even mortality, related to bowel ischaemia and perforation. Treatment of GI symptoms depends on the type of vasculitis and usually involves high‐dose steroids and immunosuppressants. Conclusion GI manifestations in the most common paediatric primary vasculitides were usually nonspecific, diagnosis mostly relied on imaging, and treatment usually involved high‐dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressants.