Viral dysbiosis in children with new-onset celiac disease.

Viruses are common components of the intestinal microbiome, modulating host bacterial metabolism and interacting with the immune system, with a possible role in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases such as celiac disease (CeD). The objective of this study was to characterize the virome profile in children with new-onset CeD. We used metagenomic analysis of viral DNA in mucosal and fecal samples from children with CeD and controls and performed sequencing using the Nextera XT library preparation kit. Abundance log2 fold changes were calculated using differential expression and linear discriminant effect size. Shannon alpha and Bray-Curtis beta diversity were determined. A total of 40 children with CeD and 39 controls were included. We found viral dysbiosis in both fecal and mucosal samples. Examples of significantly more abundant species in fecal samples of children with CeD included Human polyomavirus 2, Enterobacteria phage mEpX1, and Enterobacteria phage mEpX2; whereas less abundant species included Lactococcus phages ul36 and Streptococcus phage Abc2. In mucosal samples however, no species were significantly associated with CeD. Shannon alpha diversity was not significantly different between CeD and non-CeD groups and Bray-Curtis beta diversity showed no significant separation between CeD and non-CeD samples in either mucosal or stool samples, whereas separation was clear in all samples. We identified significant viral dysbiosis in children with CeD, suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of CeD indicating the need for further studies.

Bacterial dysbiosis predicts the diagnosis of Crohn's disease in Saudi children.

BACKGROUND: Studies have reached different conclusions regarding the accuracy of dysbiosis in predicting the diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this report is to assess the utility of mucosal and fecal microbial dysbiosis as predictors in the diagnosis of this condition in Saudi children. METHODS: Tissue and fecal samples were collected prospectively from children with final diagnosis of CD and from controls. Bacterial DNA was extracted and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq chemistry. The abundance and diversity of bacteria in tissue and fecal samples were determined in relation to controls. Sparse logistic regression was calculated to predict the diagnosis of CD based on subject's microbiota profile. RESULTS: There were 17 children with CD and 18 controls. All children were Saudis. The median age was 13.9 and 16.3 years for children with CD and controls respectively. Sex distribution showed that 11/17 (65%) of the CD and 12/18 (67%) of the control subjects were boys. The mean area under the curve (AUC) was significantly higher in stool (AUC = 0.97 ± 0.029) than in tissue samples (AUC = 0.83 ±0.055) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found high AUC in mucosal and fecal samples. The higher AUC for fecal samples suggests higher accuracy in predicting the diagnosis of CD.

Regional variation of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: Results from a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Incidence and severity variations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been reported from Western populations between continents and regions of the same countries. However, no data were available from other countries. AIM: To investigate the regional differences in the IBD profiles of pediatric patients from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Data from a national multicenter IBD study were used. The incidence, time trend, and clinical presentation of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the Central region (CR), Western region (WR), and Eastern region (ER) were analyzed and compared. Statistical analysis included Poisson regression analysis for incidence variation and Chi-square test for demographic and clinical parameters. A P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The prevalence of positive family history was lower in children with CD from the ER than the CR or the WR. Consanguinity rate was higher in children with CD and UC from the CR and the ER, respectively. The incidences and time trends of CD and UC were not significantly different between regions. In the ER, a significantly higher percentage of children with CD presented with abdominal pain (P < 0.001), blood in stools (P = 0.048), stricturing or penetrating disease (P = 0.029), higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P < 0.001), higher C-reactive protein (P < 0.001), higher anemia (P = 0.017), and lower albumin level (P = 0.014). For children with UC from the ER, a significantly higher percentage presented with anemia (P = 0.006) and a lower percentage with pancolitis (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The most important finding is the identification of significantly more severe presentation of CD in the ER of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prospective studies are needed to explain such variations.

Diagnostic delay of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Delay in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with complications. Our aim was to describe the pattern and risk factors associated with delay in the diagnosis of IBD in Saudi children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter study with a retrospective/prospective design. Data on diagnostic delay in children with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were retrieved from physician's notes. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors associated with long delay in diagnosis. RESULTS: There were 240 and 183 Saudi children with CD and UC, respectively. The median delays in diagnosis were 8 and 5 months in CD and UC, respectively, significantly longer in children with CD than UC (P < 0.001). Long diagnostic delays (>75th percentile) were 24 and 8.8 months for CD and UC, respectively. Ileal location was a significant risk factor in CD and the age of onset above 10 years was protective in UC. CONCLUSIONS: Long diagnostic delay in IBD was mainly due to the longer delay in gastroenterologist consultation. Review of the referral system is needed to focus on measures to reduce long delays in diagnosis. The ileal location as a risk factor in CD and age older than 10 years as protective in UC should help recognition and early referral.

Fungal dysbiosis predicts the diagnosis of pediatric Crohn's disease.

AIM: To investigate the accuracy of fungal dysbiosis in mucosa and stool for predicting the diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: Children were prospectively enrolled in two medical centers: one university hospital and one private gastroenterology clinic in the city of Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The children with confirmed diagnosis of CD by standard guidelines were considered cases, and the others were considered non-inflammatory bowel disease controls. Mucosal and stool samples were sequenced utilizing Illumina MiSeq chemistry following the manufacturer's protocols, and abundance and diversity of fungal taxa in mucosa and stool were analyzed. Sparse logistic regression was used to predict the diagnosis of CD. The accuracy of the classifier was tested by computing the receiver operating characteristic curves with 5-fold stratified cross-validation under 100 permutations of the training data partition and the mean area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS: All the children were Saudi nationals. There were 15 children with CD and 20 controls. The mean age was 13.9 (range: 6.7-17.8) years for CD children and 13.9 (3.25-18.6) years for controls, and 10/15 (67%) of the CD and 13/20 (65%) of the control subjects were boys. CD locations at diagnosis were ileal (L1) in 4 and colonic (L3) in 11 children, while CD behavior was non-stricturing and non-penetrating (B1) in 12 and stricturing (B2) in 3 children. The mean AUC for the fungal dysbiosis classifier was significantly higher in stools (AUC = 0.85 ± 0.057) than in mucosa (AUC = 0.71 ± 0.067) (P < 0.001). Most fungal species were significantly more depleted in stools than mucosal samples, except for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. bayanus, which were significantly more abundant. Diversity was significantly more reduced in stools than in mucosa. CONCLUSION: We found high AUC of fungal dysbiosis in fecal samples of children with CD, suggesting high accuracy in predicting diagnosis of CD.

Pre-illness diet as risk factor in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in Saudi Arabia but there's little knowledge about its risk factors. Our aim is to investigate the dietary risk factors of this disease in Saudi children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The children investigated for IBD were prospectively enrolled. Those with confirmed IBD were designated cases and the others were controls. The average food frequency intake at least 3 months before onset of illness was obtained by direct interview and recorded on a modified food frequency questionnaire. Fast food, sweet gaseous soft drinks, fruits, and vegetables were selected. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, multivariate logistic regression was used, and the odds ratio was calculated to report the statistical significance of the results. RESULTS: A total of 91 children, 52 IBD (38 CD, 14 UC) and 39 controls were enrolled. Consumption of fast food and sweet gaseous drinks was more frequent in children with IBD than controls, whereas consumption of fruits and vegetables was less frequent in children with IBD. Only less fruits consumption was significantly associated with IBD as the odds of children getting IBD was 2.89 (1.06, 7.87). CONCLUSIONS: We report statistically significant positive association between less fruits consumption and IBD. Awaiting the results of larger sample size and more quantitative studies, the benefits of frequent fruit consumptions should be part of public health education.

Fungal Microbiota Profile in Newly Diagnosed Treatment-naïve Children with Crohn's Disease.

Background and Aims: Although increasing evidence suggests a role for fungi in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], data are scarce and mostly from adults. Our aim was to define the characteristics of fungal microbiota in newly diagnosed treatment-naïve children with Crohn's disease [CD]. Methods: The children referred for colonoscopy were prospectively enrolled in the study at King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, and Al Mofarreh Polyclinics in Riyadh. Tissue and stool samples were collected and frozen till sequencing analysis. The children with confirmed CD diagnosis were designated as cases and the others as non- IBD controls; 78 samples were collected from 35 children [15 CD and 20 controls]. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate CD associations and diversity. Results: CD-associated fungi varied with the level of phylogenetic tree. There was no significant difference in abundance between normal and inflamed mucosa. Significantly abundant CD-associated taxa included Psathyrellaceae [p = 0.01], Cortinariaceae [p = 0.04], Psathyrella [p = 0.003], and Gymnopilus [p = 0.03]. Monilinia was significantly depleted [p = 0.03], whereas other depleted taxa, although not statistically significant, included Leotiomycetes [p = 0.06], Helotiales [p = 0.08], and Sclerotiniaceae [p = 0.07]. There was no significant difference in fungal diversity between CD and controls. Conclusions: We report highly significant fungal dysbiosis in newly diagnosed treatment-naïve CD children. Depleted and more abundant taxa suggest anti-inflammatory and pro-inflamatory potentials, respectively. Further studies with larger sample size and including functional analysis are needed to clarify the significance of the fungal community in the pathogenesis of CD.

Socioeconomic Impacts of Gluten-Free Diet among Saudi Children with Celiac Disease.

PURPOSE: To determine the socio-economic impact of gluten free diet (GFD) on Saudi children and their families. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which an online questionnaire was sent to all families registered in the Saudi celiac patients support group. We included only children (age 18 years of age and younger) with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease (CD). RESULTS: A total of 113 children were included in the final analysis, the median age was 9.9 years; 62.8% were females. One hundred (88.5%) of the participating families reported that GFD food was not easily available in their areas, 17% of them reported that it was not available at all in their area. One hundred and six (93.8%) reported that the price of GFD food was very expensive and 70 (61.9%) families that the diet was heavily affecting their family budget. Significant social difficulties were reported among the participating families and their children including interference with the child's interaction with other children (49.6%), the families' ability to attend social gatherings (60.2%), the families' ability to eat in restaurants (73.5%), and the families' ability to travel (58.4%). CONCLUSION: There is significant negative socio-economic impact of GFD on children with CD & their families. Health care providers should be aware of these psycho-social difficulties and be well trained to provide a proper education and psychological support for these patients and their families.

Clinical Pattern of Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter National Study.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this multicenter national study were to compare the clinical phenotype of early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (EO-IBD) with IBD in older children and to examine whether there is any variability in consanguinity rate and familial aggregation in EO-IBD compared with later onset IBD. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on children aged 0 to 14 years with IBD in 17 centers located in geographically distinct regions in Saudi Arabia, from 2003 to 2012. Data of patients with EO-IBD (0 to <6 yrs) were compared with those with later onset IBD (6-14 yrs). Moreover, we evaluated differences in clinical pattern of infantile or toddler onset IBD subgroup (0-3 yr) as compared with those presenting in older children. RESULTS: Of 352 IBD patients identified during the 10-year study period, 76 children (21.6%) younger than 6 years were diagnosed with IBD. Among the Crohn's disease (CD) group, infantile or toddler onset CD subgroup showed a more frequent isolated colonic involvement (L2) than later-onset group (57% versus 20%; P = 0.002). Positive family history was significantly more common in the infantile or toddler onset ulcerative colitis subgroup (29.4% versus 4.2% in later onset ulcerative colitis; P < 0.0001). The consanguinity rate was significantly higher in the infantile or toddler onset CD subgroup as compared with later onset CD group (57.1% versus 25.3%; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, EO-IBD exhibits a unique clinical phenotype with a strikingly higher familial aggregation in early-onset ulcerative colitis. Our data suggest a significant genetic impact on the onset of CD in the very young children.

Nutritional status of children with inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia.

AIM: To assess the prevalence of nutritional disorders in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The data from a national cohort of children newly diagnosed with IBD between 2003 and 2012 were analyzed. The diagnosis of IBD and the differentiation between Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were confirmed by gastroenterologists according to the standard criteria. The body mass index (BMI) of each child [weight (kg)/height(2) (m)] was calculated at the time of diagnosis. The World Health Organization standards and references were used and the BMI for age > +1 and < -2 standard deviation score were used to define overweight and thinness, respectively. Age stratification analysis was performed to investigate any age-related variation in the prevalence of nutritional status between children < 10 years of age and older. RESULTS: There were 374 children from 0.33 to 17 years of age, including 119 (32%) children with UC and 255 (68%) with CD. All of the children were Saudi nationals, and 68 (57%) of the UC and 150 (59%) of the CD children were males. A positive history of anorexia at the time of diagnosis was found in 30 (25%) patients with UC and 99 (39%) patients with CD. The prevalence of thinness was 31%, 35% and 24% in children with IBD, CD and UC, respectively, with a significantly higher prevalence of thinness in children with CD than in children with UC (P = 0.037) only in the age group of 10-17 years (P = 0.030). The prevalence of overweight was 16 %, 15% and 20 % in the children with IBD, CD and UC, respectively, indicating a higher prevalence in UC that was statistically significant only in the age group of 10-17 years (P = 0.020). CONCLUSION: A high proportion of children with IBD presented with overweight instead of the classical underweight. Awareness of this finding is important for patient care.

Clinical Characteristics of Celiac Disease and Dietary Adherence to Gluten-Free Diet among Saudi Children.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical characteristics of celiac disease (CD) among Saudi children and to determine the adherence rate to gluten free diet (GFD) and its determinant factors among them. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which all the families registered in the Saudi Celiac Patients Support Group were sent an online survey. Only families with children 18 years of age and younger with biopsy-confirmed CD were included. RESULTS: The median age of the 113 included children was 9.9 years, the median age at symptom onset was 5.5 years and the median age at diagnosis was 7 years, the median time between the presentation and the final diagnosis was 1 year. Sixty two of the involved children were females. Ninety two percent of the patients were symptomatic at the diagnosis while eight percent were asymptomatic. The commonest presenting symptoms included: chronic abdominal pain (59.3%), poor weight gain (54%), abdominal distention, gases, bloating (46.1%) and chronic diarrhea (41.6%). Sixty percent of the involved children were reported to be strictly adherent to GFD. Younger age at diagnosis and shorter duration since the diagnosis were associated with a better adherence rate. CONCLUSION: CD has similar clinical presentations among Saudi children compared to other parts of the ward; however, the adherence to GFD is relatively poor. Younger age at diagnosis and shorter duration since the diagnosis were associated with a better adherence rate.

Incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: a multicenter national study.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly recognized in developing countries; however, the incidence and trend over time have not been reported. METHODS: This retrospective study included children diagnosed with IBD in gastroenterology centers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 2003 and 2012. The date of birth, date and age at diagnosis, gender, and final diagnosis were collected on special forms. Clinical, laboratory, imaging, endoscopy, and histopathology results were reviewed to confirm the final diagnosis. Descriptive statistics were used to compare ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in different age groups, and significance was assessed by the chi-square test. Incidence rates and trend over time were analyzed with the assumption of Poisson distribution. The incidence rate over time was compared in 2 periods (2003-2007 and 2008-2012). A P value of <0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the significance and precision of the estimates. RESULTS: A total of 340 Saudi Arabian children aged 0 to 14 years were diagnosed. The mean incidence rate per 100,000 individuals was 0.2, 0.27, and 0.47 for ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and IBD, respectively. Except for the 0- to 4-year age group, there was a significant increase in incidence over time. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of pediatric IBD in Saudi Arabian children is lower than suggested in the Western literature, there is a significantly increasing trend over time. However, decreased trend in the younger age group over time is identified. Prospective studies will be important to identify the risk factors for IBD in different age groups.

Menetrier`s disease in a Saudi child.

Menetrier`s disease is a rare form of acquired gastropathy that presents mostly during adulthood, but is extremely rare in children. It is a clinicopathological diagnosis that typically presents with abdominal pain, vomiting, and edema secondary to hypoalbuminemia. Endoscopy usually shows giant gastric mucosal folds, and gastric biopsy shows foveolar hyperplasia and decreased oxyntic glands. Here, we describe a 5-year-old boy from Saudi Arabia with typical presentation of Menetrier`s disease and serological evidence of acute cytomegalovirus infection.

Consanguinity and inflammatory bowel diseases: is there a relation?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between consanguinity and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). METHODS: Review of the medical records of children with a final diagnosis of IBD to determine age, sex, and type of IBD, supplemented by information on consanguinity and family history (FH) of IBD in relatives. There were 138 children, ages 1.4 to 19.3 years, and 50% were girls. RESULTS: The prevalence of consanguinity was 50%, 53%, 39% and 60% in IBD, Crohn disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and controls, respectively. There was a significantly higher prevalence of consanguinity in controls than in patients with IBD and UC (P = 0.02 and 0.026, respectively), whereas the difference between CD patients and controls was not significant (P = 0.20). The prevalence of first cousin consanguinity was 71%, 73.2%, 61.5% and 70.5% in patients with IBD, CD, UC, and controls, respectively, indicating no significant difference between these conditions and controls (P = 0.95, P = 0.78, P = 0.33, respectively). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of consanguinity in the parents of children with or without a FH of either CD (P = 0.89) or UC (P = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant relation between parental consanguinity and IBD in this population, especially when there is no FH of disease, suggesting reduced genetic susceptibility; however, further studies including larger sample size and details of FH of consanguinity and IBD in multiple generations are needed for further definitions of the role of consanguinity.

Effects of education of the head of the household on the prevalence of malnutrition in children.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the educational level of the head of household on the prevalence of malnutrition in Saudi children. METHODS: The study was conducted over 2 years in 2004 and 2005 in all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The design consisted of a stratified multistage probability random sampling of the population of the KSA. The educational level of the heads of the household, and measurements of weight and height of the children were obtained during house visits. Nutritional indicators in the form of weight for age, height for age, and weight for height for children below 5 years of age were determined, and the prevalence of each indicator below -2 standard deviations (SD) was calculated for each level of education. RESULTS: The sample size was 7390 in the weight for age, 7275 height for age, and 7335 for weight for height. The prevalence of underweight (weight for age below -2 SD) increased from 7.4% for the university level to 15.2% in the children of illiterate heads of household. Similar patterns were found for the prevalence of stunting (height for age below -2 SD) and wasting (weight for height below -2 SD). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the higher the education level of the heads of the household, the lower the prevalence of malnutrition in their children, suggesting that completing at least 9-12 years of education (intermediate and secondary school) is needed for better improvement in the nutritional status of the children.

Epidemiology of juvenile-onset inflammatory bowel disease in central Saudi Arabia.

There is limited information about inflammatory bowel disease in Arab children. Hence, the objective of this study was to report on the epidemiology of this condition in our community. Medical records were analysed for all children below 18 years of age diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and followed up in our institution over a period of 10 years. From 1993 to 2002, 50 consecutive children were diagnosed to have IBD. This gives an estimated incidence of 0.5 cases/100 000/year and a prevalence of 5 cases/100 000 populations for the region of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Most of the children (90 per cent) were Saudi nationals and the female to male ratio was 1 : 0.6. The age range was between 5 and 18 years with 16 per cent of the cases diagnosed in children below 12 years of age. Chronic ulcerative colitis was the commonest form accounting for 48 per cent, followed by Crohn's disease and indeterminate colitis in 38 per cent and 16 per cent of the children, respectively. The best agreement between colonoscopic and histopathologic findings (89 per cent) was in children with ulcerative colitis followed by normal findings and Crohn's disease in 63 per cent and 35 per cent of the cases, respectively. It was concluded that the incidence and prevalence of IBD in this report are lower than in any other population. Nevertheless, comparison with older data suggests that the incidence is increasing.

Endoscopic duodenal biopsy in children.

BACKGROUND: Biopsy of the small bowel is frequently obtained by endoscopic forceps instead of the classical suction capsule, yet reports from developing countries are scarce. AIM OF THE STUDY: to report our experience on the diagnostic value of this procedure in our community. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all endoscopic duodenal biopsies (EDB), performed on all patients below 18 years of age. Data retrieved from the records included age, gender, nationality, indication for biopsy, the endoscopic findings, and the results of histopathology. RESULTS: From 1993 to 2002, 241 endoscopic biopsies were performed on 241 consecutive children. Most of the children (96%) were Saudi nationals, the age range between six weeks to 18 years, and male to female ratio was 0.7:1. All of the biopsy material was adequate for routine histopathology. The commonest indications for biopsy were short stature and chronic diarrhea in 116/241 (48%) and 102/241 (43%) of the children respectively. Refractory rickets accounted for 11/241 (5%) of the indications. The prevalence of villous atrophy was highest in children presenting with chronic diarrhea (40%), compared to short stature (22%). Other less common, but important findings were villous atrophy in three unusual conditions (one refractory rickets, one unexplained anemia, and one polyendocrinopathy), two cases of intestinal Giardia lamblia infestation, three cases of intestinal lymphangiectasis and one case of Mycobacterium avium intracellulare. Unexpected endoscopic findings were documented in 34/241 (14%) of the children. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic duodenal biopsy is adequate not only for the diagnosis of villous atrophy, but also for the detection of other gastroenteropathies. Accordingly, when expertise and equipment are available, EDB should be the procedure of choice not only in industrialized but also in developing countries.

Colonoscopy in children.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric colonoscopy is routinely performed in most hospitals in Saudi Arabia and yet published data are scarce. The objective of this report is to describe our experience in the practice of pediatric colonoscopy in Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of data of all patients below 18 years of age who underwent colonoscopy over a 10-year period. RESULTS: From 1414 H (1993 G) to 1423 H (2002 G), two hundred and seventeen colonoscopies, of which 183 diagnostic procedures, were performed on 183 children. The majority (94%) were Saudi nationals, the age range was between 5 months and 18 years, and the female to male ratio was 1:0.8. Colonoscopy was total in 58 (32%) and limited in 125 patients (68%). The commonest reason for not completing the procedure was securing the diagnosis in 45/125 patients (36%). The commonest indication was rectal bleeding (35%). The highest yield was in children with bloody diarrhea (91%) and the lowest in those with abdominal pain (27%) with an overall yield of 44%. Colitis was the most common diagnosis occurring in 66% of the children. CONCLUSION: this report highlights the role of colonoscopy in the recognition of diseases of the colon in our community and identifies some of the problems areas associated with the performance of this procedure in our institution.

Peptic ulcer disease in children and adolescents.

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) has been reported to occur in children worldwide, but no information is available for our community. The aim of the study was to report our experience on the pattern of this condition in Saudi Arabian children. The records of all children below 18 years of age who were diagnosed by endoscopy to have PUD over a period of 10 years were analysed. From 1993 to 2002, 24 children out of 521(5 per cent) who presented with upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) symptoms were diagnosed by endoscopy to have PUD. All but one (96 per cent) were Saudi nationals, the average age was 15 years (range 5-18 years), and the male to female ratio was 7:1. The commonest presentation was chronic abdominal pain in 15/24 (63 per cent) of the children, followed by vomiting associated with abdominal pain in four (17 per cent). Hematemesis and melena occurred in three (13 per cent), and two children (8 per cent), respectively. There were 20 duodenal (92 per cent) and four gastric ulcers. The primary type was the most common, occurring in 19 (79 per cent) of the children. Histopathology results of antral biopsies were available for 15 children; all of them had antral gastritis. Helicobacter pylori organisms were present in 13/15 (87 per cent) of the antral biopsy specimens. In Saudi children, peptic ulcer disease occurs more commonly in boys. It is a rare cause of upper GIT symptoms, but highly associated with H. pylori antral gastritis. This study documents a pattern similar to descriptions from other countries.