Endoscopy and Imaging Modalities/Basic Science of Gastrointestinal Disorders/Miscellaneous : Endoscopic Findings In Children On Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background/Aims: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain as the initial approach to the pharmacologic management in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Gastrointestinal (GI) damage associated with NSAIDs is common in adults, but there are few studies available in children. This study was done to determine the GI complications of NSIDs in a cohort of JRA patients by endoscopy. Methods: Twenty-one patients with JRA who were using NSAIDs for at least 3 months were assessed clinically and by endoscopy. Results: The mean age of the patients was 9.8 years (11 female). GI symptoms were found in 42.9% of patients: 33.4% abdominal pain and 9.5% vomiting. Macroscopic endoscopic lesions were found in 85.7% and infection of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in 14.3% of cases. Conclusions: Our data show that patients using NSAIDs have frequent GI damage without any relation to the duration of treatment. The number of children who had GI damage without any clinical complaint was high. Also we found that there is no significant relationship between the duration of drug use and the GI complaints, and no relation between duration and GI complaints to upper GI tract endoscopic lesions. The possibility of GI derangements with NSAIDs in pediatric age group is high. Close monitoring of symptoms and prevention measures is suggested.