[Lymphoid hyperplasia of the intestine in children. 15 cases].

Fifteen cases of nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH) of the bowel in patients aged 17 months to 15 years are reported. Fourteen patients had NLH confined to the small bowel and one had involvement of both the small bowel and colon. Mean age at diagnosis was 10 years. The most common presenting symptoms were intestinal manifestations (86%). Diagnosis was suspected upon roentgenographic studies in one case and digestive endoscopy in ten cases. Histologic confirmation was obtained in all fifteen patients. Immunohistochemical studies, done in 8 patients, demonstrated a paucity of IgA plasmocytes in one patient with an immune deficiency and a polyclonal plasmocyte population with mainly IgA plasmocytes in the seven other patients. Five patients had a deficiency in humoral immunity, with variable expression hypogammaglobulinemia in three patients and IgA deficiency in two; intestinal giardiasis was found in eight patients. Histologic outcome was documented in five cases; evidence of NLH disappeared in only one patient. Metronidazole improved clinical symptoms in most instances.