Esophageal reflux--an unrecognized cause of recurrent obstructive bronchitis in children

Forty-three children with recurrent obstructive bronchitis but without prominent gastrointestinal symptoms were studied for esophageal reflux roentgenographically and by manometry. Roentgenographic evidence for reflux was shown in 26; these patients had a mean lower esophageal sphincter pressure of 6.3 mm Hg as compared to a mean LES pressure of 21.9 mm Hg in normal control infants. The remaining 17 patients had a mean LES pressure of 10.0 mm Hg, also significantly lower than that of control subjects. Fifteen of 20 patients with recurrent obstructive bronchitis noted alleviation of their pulmonary symptoms after medical treatment of their reflux. Sequential studies of another group with radiologically demonstrated reflux showed increases in sphincter pressures and disappearance of radiologically observed reflux in one third of the patients. It is suggested that esophageal reflux should be sought in patients with recurrent bronchitis: if found, antireflux therapy might be expected to improve the pulmonary symptomatology.