Evaluation of Esophageal Pathology in Children Who Underwent Esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Objective: Data concerning the prevalence of esophageal pathologies in children, and their relations with age and sex and symptoms, are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, etiology and endoscopic and histopathological characteristics of esophageal pathologies in children. Material and Methods: Patients aged 1-17 and undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy in our unit between May 2009 and June 2015 were investigated retrospectively (n=3081). Patients’ ages, sex, symptoms and endoscopic findings were recorded from their medical files. At statistical analysis, the Independent Two Sample t test was used for normally distributed variables in two-group comparisons and the Mann-Whitney U test for non-normally distributed variables. The chi square test was used to compare categoric variables. results: Pathology was present in the esophagus of 335 patients (10.8%) (endoscopic in 205, histopathological in 12 and both endoscopic and histopathological in 118). Esophageal pathology was more common in patients aged over 10 (p<0.001, OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.31-2.08). A higher prevalence of pathology in the esophagus was determined in patients with reflux (89, 26.5%, p<0.001, OR: 7.58, 95% CI: 5.61-10.25) and dysphagia (10, 2.9%, p<0.001, OR: 7.01, %95 Cl: 3.00-16.35). Histopathological abnormality was determined in all patients with hiatal hernia (n=8), and histopathological abnormality was also more common with high-grade esophagitis determined endoscopically. conclusion: This study revealed the diagnostic importance of esophagogastroduodenoscopy in patients aged over 10 with reflux and dysphagia, and that histopathological anomalies are more common in the presence of hiatal hernia and high-grade esophagitis determined endoscopically.