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World J Clin Pediatr. Sep 9, 2025; 14(3): 104951
Published online Sep 9, 2025. doi: 10.5409/wjcp.v14.i3.104951
Paediatric digestive endoscopy: From conventional endoscopy to endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
Hussein Hassan Okasha, Ahmed El-Meligui, Elsayed Ghoneem, Abdullah Zuhair Alyouzbaki, Adil Ait Errami, Hanane Delsa
Hussein Hassan Okasha, Ahmed El-Meligui, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kasr Al-Aini School of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
Elsayed Ghoneem, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35511, Egypt
Abdullah Zuhair Alyouzbaki, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Mosul, Mosul 41002, Nīnawá, Iraq
Adil Ait Errami, Department of Gastroenterology, Cadi Ayyad University, Mohammed VIth University Hospital, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
Hanane Delsa, Department of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Center, Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Casablanca-Settat, Morocco
Hanane Delsa, Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Biotechnology and Health, Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca 82403, Casablanca-Settat, Morocco
Co-corresponding authors: Hussein Hassan Okasha and Hanane Delsa.
Author contributions: Okasha HH and Delsa H contribute equally to this study as co-corresponding authors; Okasha HH and Delsa H contributed to drafting the article and critically reviewing its academic content; Delsa H, El-Meligui A, and Ait Errami A contributed to writing the manuscript and creating the tables and figures; Ghoneem E assisted in literature collection, as well as checking and revising the paper's content. Alyouzbaki AZ contributed to modifying the paper's format.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interests.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hussein Hassan Okasha, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kasr Al-Aini School of Medicine, Cairo University, Al Kasr Al Aini, Old Cairo, Cairo 11562, Egypt. okasha.hussein@gmail.com
Received: January 13, 2025
Revised: March 16, 2025
Accepted: April 23, 2025
Published online: September 9, 2025
Processing time: 155 Days and 13.1 Hours
Abstract

Digestive endoscopy is widely performed in clinical practice, including in children, and has revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of many gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Interventional procedures are increasingly utilized, particularly for hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases. However, only a limited number of gastroenterologists are trained and experienced to perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound in pediatric patients. While GI endoscopic emergencies in children are uncommon, they can be serious. Effective care demands true multidisciplinary teamwork, with close and ongoing collaboration between gastroenterologists, anesthetists, and the pediatric team especially in centres where pediatric endoscopy specialists are not available. This mini-review outlines current practices in pediatric digestive endoscopy and explores recent advances in interventional endoscopy compared to adult patients.

Keywords: Adult; Pediatric; Endoscopy; Endoscopic ultrasound; Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

Core Tip: Pediatric gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy has revolutionized the diagnosis and management of GI disorders, with the increasing use of interventional techniques for hepato-pancreatobiliary diseases. However, expertise in performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound in children remains limited. This minireview focuses on current practice, the growing role of interventional endoscopy, and the importance of GI endoscopy in the management of GI disease in children.