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World J Gastrointest Endosc. Dec 16, 2025; 17(12): 111386
Published online Dec 16, 2025. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v17.i12.111386
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in pediatric gastroenterology: Diagnostic and therapeutic applications
Wathsala Hathagoda, Shaman Rajindrajith, Niranga Manjuri Devanarayana
Wathsala Hathagoda, Shaman Rajindrajith, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 00800, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Wathsala Hathagoda, Shaman Rajindrajith, University Pediatric Unit, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo 00800, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Niranga Manjuri Devanarayana, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama 11010, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Author contributions: Hathagoda W collected and analyzed the evidence and drafted the initial manuscript; Devanarayana NM and Rajindrajith S were substantially involved in revising it; Devanarayana NM conceptualized the paper. All authors checked the final manuscript before submission.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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: Niranga Manjuri Devanarayana, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Thalagolla Road, Ragama 11010, Western Province, Sri Lanka. niranga@kln.ac.lk
Received: June 30, 2025
Revised: August 10, 2025
Accepted: October 27, 2025
Published online: December 16, 2025
Processing time: 170 Days and 22.9 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Endoscopy plays an essential role in pediatric gastroenterology by enabling accurate diagnosis and offering therapeutic benefits, particularly for complex conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, and eosinophilic esophagitis. Technological progress continues to improve diagnostic accuracy, while therapeutic endoscopy helps reduce the need for invasive surgical procedures. Tailored endoscopy training programs, standardized evaluation methods, and clearly defined benchmarks for competence will enhance patient care. More robust research is vital to determine the clinical outcomes of endoscopy and to explore the techniques used in children. Continued progress through innovation and specialized education is crucial for the future of pediatric endoscopic practice.