[Barrett++ esophagus in children. Presentation of 12 cases]

This paper describes 12 cases of Barrett's oesophagus selected out of a population of 364 refluxing children studied from 1986 to 1990. Their mean age was 14, seven were cared for in special institutions for brain damaged and 2 had been operated upon for oesophageal atresia at birth. Excessive acid exposure was documented in 8/10 patient studied and simultaneous gastric and oesophageal pH-monitoring demonstrated massive duodeno-gastric alkaline reflux in 3. Histological studies revealed that columnar-lined epithelium was of fundic type in 2 cases, of junctional type in 7 and of specialized type in three. Helicobacter pylori was found in the mucosa of 8 patients. The present series confirms that BE should be looked for endoscopically in children with GER and provides further evidence of the long duration of GER disease and the excessive acid-alkaline chemical exposure of the oesophageal lining in the pathogenesis of mucosal changes.