The rate of EoE in our pediatric patient population is low. Prospective studies are needed to establish the incident and prevalence of EoE disease in children living in the United States.

No abstract

Colonic polyps in JPS are rarely malignant during the pediatric age period. Our data suggest that the recommended colonic surveillance in children should be modified.

Digital rectal examination (DRE) in children is crucial to differentiate between simple (habitual) and complicated constipation. Previous experience suggests that primary care physicians (PCPs) avoid DRE in children with constipation before referral. We evaluated the rate of DRE performance by West Virginian PCPs in patients referred to our gastroenterology clinic. Data were collected from the physicians' referral letters and parental reports. We found that the vast majority (85%) of WV-PCPs do not perform DRE before referring their patients, resulting in missed diagnoses and treatment. We concluded that the lack of DRE in children with constipation may result in unnecessary referral to the specialist. To improve standard of care for children with constipation, an educational campaign for PCPs is clearly warranted.

The incidence of H. pylori infection in symptomatic children in our clinic is decreasing. A national multicenter study will be needed to assess whether this drop is a local phenomenon or a national trend.