Advanced Practice Provider EoE Program (Live/Virtual) | October 2025-Adolescent Case Studies and Debates

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Purnani Hobson from Mayo Clinic Children's Hospital presents on pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE) through adolescent case studies, emphasizing the clinical variability and management challenges. She explains EOE's progression from an initial inflammatory phase commonly seen in children to fibrosis, which may lead to strictures if untreated. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial to prevent fibrosis development. Dr. Hobson highlights typical and atypical EOE symptoms across ages, noting younger children often present with nonspecific signs like feeding difficulties and abdominal pain, while adolescents may show classic dysphagia and food impactions.<br /><br />Three cases illustrate diagnostic and treatment complexities: a 17-year-old female with both EOE and GERD requiring combined dupilumab and proton pump inhibitor therapy; a 16-year-old male with misattributed food allergies who experienced food impaction and improved on Budesonide; and a 12-year-old male with heartburn and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), diagnosed with EOE despite atypical presentations. The cases underscore the importance of thorough clinical history, suspicion for overlapping GERD and EOE, and individualized treatment plans involving medications, nutrition, and monitoring tools like endoscopy, esophagrams, pH impedance studies, and endoflip to assess fibrosis. Dr. Hobson advocates for close follow-up and a multifaceted approach to manage pediatric EOE effectively, aiming to halt disease progression and preserve growth and quality of life.

Asset Subtitle

Puanani (Pua) E. Hopson, DO

Keywords

pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis

EOE clinical variability

fibrosis progression

early diagnosis EOE

EOE symptoms children and adolescents

EOE and GERD overlap

EOE treatment and management