CLINICAL, LABORATORY CHARACTERISTICS AND ETIOLOGIES OF BLOOD EOSINOPHILIA IN CHILDREN AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 1
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Abstract
Background:Eosinophiliainchildrenisaclinicalconditionthatmaybeassociatedwitha wide range of disorders, including infections, allergic diseases, and hematologic malignancies. However, the clinical manifestations, laboratory characteristics, and underlyingetiologiesofeosinophiliainpediatricpatientshavenotbeenfullycharacterized inclinicalpractice.
Objectives: To describe the clinical features, paraclinical findings, and etiologies of blood eosinophilia in children.
Methods: A descriptive cross- sectional study was conducted on 34 pediatric patients aged from 1 month to 18 years with eosinophilia. Collected variables included age, sex, clinical manifestations, family history, severity of eosinophilia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, parasitic test results, and gene mutations associated with malignant disorders. Data were presented as frequencies and percentages. Categorical variables were compared using Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The median age was 5.8 years (IQR: 2.1-10.4), and males accounted for 58.8%. Skin lesions were the most common clinical manifestation (47.1%), followed by gastrointestinal symptoms (35.3%), respiratory symptoms (26.5%), and signs of anemia (20.6%); 17.6% of cases were asymptomatic and detected incidentally. A family history of allergic diseases was found in 38.2% of patients. Mild, moderate, and severe eosinophilia accounted for 44.1%, 35.3%, and 20.6%, respectively. Anemia was present in 29.4%, thrombocytopenia in 8.8%, positive parasitic tests in 29.4%, and gene mutations related to malignancy in 5.9%. Allergy was the leading etiology (58.8%), followed by parasitic infection (29.4%), malignancy (8.8%), and unidentified causes (2.9%). There was a statistically significant association between eosinophilia severity and overall etiological groups (p = 0.032). When each etiology was analyzed separately, allergic causes decreased significantly with increasing eosinophilia severity (p = 0.021), whereas malignant causes were more common in the severe group (p=0.047).
Conclusions: In children, eosinophilia is mainly associated with allergic diseases and parasitic infections. Skin and gastrointestinal manifestations are common. Severe eosinophilia accompanied by anemia or thrombocytopenia should prompt further evaluation to exclude malignancy.
Keywords
eosinophilia, allergy, parasitic infection, malignancy.
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References
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