Fungal Esophagitis in a Child with Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.

Esophagitis in children is not uncommon, mostly due to gastro-esophageal reflux. Other conditions like eosinophilic and infective esophagitis need to be elucidated in differential diagnoses. Fungal orCandida esophagitisusually occurs in high risk children who are immune-compromised, malnourished, on steroid therapy or have uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. An eleven-year girl presented with uncontrolled type I diabetes mellitus and recurrent epigastric pain with vomiting. Her oral intake was satisfactory. There was no dysphagia and odynophagia. Physical examination was normal with good oral hygiene. Failure in responding to conventional medications led to endoscopic evaluation, which revealed white patches and esophageal inflammation and diagnosed as fungal esophagitis on histopathology. Although infective esophagitis is encountered sporadically in pediatric age group, but it should always be considered in high risk individuals and when conventional medication fails to resolve the symptoms.