Gastroesophageal reflux in children with recurrent abdominal pain

In this study we investigated the presence of gastroesophageal reflux in children with recurrent abdominal pain and its possible relationship to food intolerance-associated duodenal inflammation. Twenty-four-hour intra-esophageal pH monitoring, an endoscopic duodenal biopsy and a small bowel 51Cr-EDTA permeability test were performed in 25 children with recurrent abdominal pain. In 14 cases (56%) the pH monitoring was abnormal, pointing to the presence of pathological gastroesophageal reflux. Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux in the latter patients resulted in resolution or improvement of abdominal pain in 10 cases (71%). Gastroesophageal reflux did not appear to be associated with either intestinal permeability to 51Cr-EDTA or duodenal biopsy findings. We conclude that pathological gastroesophageal reflex is a frequent finding in children with recurrent abdominal pain, that it is unrelated to duodenal inflammation and that there might be a causal relationship between pathological gastroesophageal reflux and recurrent abdominal pain in children.