title: Churg-Strauss syndrome in children: a clinical and pathologic review.
abstract: Churg-Strauss syndrome is a vasculitis accompanied by asthma and eosinophilia. It is generally considered a disease of adults; occurrence in children has been reported infrequently. Here we report 2 pediatric patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome manifesting with prominent pulmonary involvement. One, a 16-year-old with a previous history of asthma, presented with pleuritic chest pain and a peripheral pulmonary nodule complicated by an eosinophilic pleural effusion. The other patient presented at age 6 with cough, weight loss, and radiographic infiltrates. Lung biopsies revealed elements characteristic of Churg-Strauss syndrome, including eosinophilic microabscesses and vasculitis. Three- and 5-year follow-up showed continued symptoms in both patients despite medical therapy. Both patients illustrate many of the typical features of Churg-Strauss syndrome. We report these cases to expand the scant knowledge about Churg-Strauss syndrome in pediatric patients and to heighten awareness that this serious disease may affect the pediatric population. The relevant literature on Churg-Strauss syndrome, with specific reference to childhood cases, is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02155, USA. debra.boyer@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.forename: Sara O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Dubhfeasa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Slattery
authors.forename: Yadira M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Rivera-Sanchez
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Colin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D015267:Churg-Strauss Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology*; D015431:Weight Loss