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The following is a summary of “Assessment of Attack Frequency in PFAPA Patients Based on Therapeutic Modalities,” published in the December 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Kalayci et al.
Children are affected by Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatitis, Pharyngitis, and Cervical Adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome. This is a recurrent autoinflammatory condition and can significantly impact their QoL.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to compare the effects of various treatments on attack frequency in children diagnosed with PFAPA syndrome.
They included 195 children (aged 6 months to 18 years) diagnosed with PFAPA syndrome who were followed for at least 12 months. Participants were divided into 4 groups, untreated (n = 58), corticosteroid treatment (n = 43), colchicine prophylaxis (n = 62), and tonsillectomy (n = 32). Demographic data, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and attack patterns were collected and analyzed.
The results showed that tonsillectomy reduced the frequency of attacks from 12 to 3 episodes (P<0.001), while colchicine prophylaxis reduced attacks from 12 to 1 episode (P<0.001). Children who received corticosteroids for 3 or more attacks experienced an increased frequency of attacks compared to their pre-treatment period (P<0.0001). Tonsillectomy resulted in a significantly more significant reduction in attack frequency compared to colchicine prophylaxis (P<0.001).
They concluded that tonsillectomy significantly reduced attack frequency in children with PFAPA syndrome, colchicine prophylaxis effectively reduces attacks, and repeated corticosteroid use increases attack frequency.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jpc.16756
