Clinical outcome of cystic fibrosis presenting with or without meconium ileus: a matched cohort study

ObjectiveThis matched case-control study compared the nutritional and the pulmonary long-term outcomes of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients presenting a history of meconium ileus (MI) with early-diagnosed symptomatic CF without MI (non-MI).Material and MethodTwenty-six patients with CF treated for MI between 1980 and 1997 have been matched for sex, birth date, and earliest CF symptomatic diagnosis for the children with non-MI CF. Clinical characteristics, genotype and complications were evaluated as well as the progression of the CF disease from infancy to 15 years old by nutritional status (z score weight, z score height), pulmonary function tests (PFTs) (FVC and FEV1), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquisition.ResultsMedian duration of the follow-up was 12.5 years (range, 10-17 years). Genotype identification showed no significant difference. Further on, the rate of complications and the occurrence of chronic P aeruginosa colonization did not differ. At age of 15 years (n = 13), nutritional status and PFTs did not demonstrate any significant difference.ConclusionThese results suggest that adequate initial nutritional and medical management of MI allows further similar nutritional status and PFTs compared with other early-diagnosed symptomatic CF patients. In this study, MI did not represent an additional risk factor for the patient's life.