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[Esophageal intra-abdominal ultrasonographic in children with gastroesophageal reflux: correlation between endoscopic
M M Antunes1, R M Yamada, M Trevisan
1Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, FCM/UNICAMP, SP.
Insights
Ultrasonography can help diagnose peptic esophagitis in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease by measuring esophageal abdominal segment length, correlating with endoscopic and biopsy findings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Gastrointestinal Pathology
Background:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common in children, with peptic esophagitis as a critical complication.
- Diagnosing peptic esophagitis relies on endoscopic and histologic findings.
- Reduced lower esophageal sphincter pressure, linked to esophageal abdominal segment length, is implicated in esophagitis pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate ultrasonographic measurements of esophageal abdominal segment length with endoscopic and biopsy results in children with GERD.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of ultrasonography in identifying peptic esophagitis.
Main Methods:
- 16 children (10-156 months) with GERD underwent endoscopy and esophageal biopsy.
- Ultrasonography was used to measure esophageal abdominal segment length.
- Endoscopic and histologic findings were analyzed in relation to ultrasonographic measurements.
Main Results:
- Esophagitis was confirmed by biopsy in 5/6 patients with endoscopic esophagitis and 4/10 with normal endoscopy.
- A strong relationship was found between mild histologic changes and reflux.
- Reduced esophageal abdominal segment length correlated with endoscopic esophagitis and biopsy-confirmed esophagitis (excluding mild changes).
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonography shows a correlation between reduced esophageal abdominal segment length and the presence of esophagitis in children with GERD.
- Ultrasonographic measurement of esophageal abdominal segment length may aid in diagnosing peptic esophagitis.
Abstract:
Gastroesophageal reflux disease has been very often in children and one of its most critical complications is the peptic esophagitis disease. The diagnosis of peptic esophagitis is obtained based on the endoscopic changes and the histologic features. The pressure reduction of the lower esophageal sphincter is one of the elements of the esophagitis pathogenesis. The pressure is related with the length of the esophageal abdominal segment, which can be measured by ultrasonography. The research presented in this paper aims to relate ultrasonographic measurements of esophageal abdominal segment length with endoscopic changes and with esophageal biopsy obtained from children with gastroesophagel reflux disease. We submitted 16 children with gastroesophagel reflux disease, between 10 and 156 months old (median 63.5 months old), to endoscopy and to esophageal biopsy. We verified the following results from endoscopy and biopsy: six of the 16 patients had endoscopic peptic esophagitis and, in five of these (six patients), the same diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy. Ten of the 16 patients had normal endoscopy, but the biopsy of four of these 10 patients showed histologic changes compatible with esophagitis. We observed no relationship between endoscopy and biopsy, when all degrees of histologic change were used to diagnose esophagitis. However, we found high relationship when the mild histologic changes were considered as only a consequence of the reflux. We verified the following results from ultrasonography: five of the six patients with endoscopic peptic esophagitis and all patients with esophagitis determined by biopsy (excluding those with mild histologic changes) had reduced esophageal abdominal segment length. In conclusion, we have found relationship between endoscopic changes and histologic features in the diagnosis of esophagitis and correlation between the reduced esophageal abdominal segment length and the presence of esophagitis.