Abstract

BLANCO RODRIGUEZ, Gerardo et al. Esofagitis herpética en el niño inmunosuprimido. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2004, vol.61, n.1, pp.29-34. ISSN 1665-1146.

Introduction. Herpetic esophagitis is mainly observed in immunocompromised patients; before 1985 most cases were diagnosed at autopsy but this has changed with the introduction of endoscopy. Material and methods. Clinical charts of immunocompromised patients (n =137) in which an endoscopic procedure was practiced, from January 1992 to June 2002 were reviewed period; age, gender, symptoms, oral lesions, main disease, endoscopic histopathological findings, were reviewed. Results. Herpetic esophagitis was found in 12 of 137 cases, 6 were females; age varied from 14 months to 15 years; main disease was leukemia in 5 cases, a solid tumor in 5, Kawasaki's disease in 1, and renal transplant in 1. Main symptoms observed were dysphagia and syalorrhea; in 10 cases oral lesions were present. Esophageal ulceration and white plaques were observed in the endoscopic study and the characteristic changes of Herpes virus infection were observed in the histopathological study. Conclusion. We present 12 cases of herpetic esophagitis in immunocompromised children in whom syalorrhea and dysphagia were the main symptoms.

Keywords : Herpetic esophagitis; immunocompromised children.