Valuability of the gastroeosaphaeal scintigraphy in children with airway disease

In this study, we aimed to detect the gastroesophageal reflux scintigraphically in infants and children with a diagnosis of respiratory disease and to investigate the relationship between the diagnosis, age group, gender, symptoms of patients and the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux.72 patients with the diagnosis of reactive airways disease (RAD) and 41 patients with the diagnosis of recurrent respiratory infection (RRI),[ totally 113 patients (65 males, 48 females, age range: 1 month - 16 years, age average: 6.76)] were included in the study. Gastroesophageal reflux scintigraphies of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. Reflux was detected in 47 (65%) of the patients with reactive airways disease and in 29 (70%) of the patients with recurrent respiratory infections. Reflux incidence was high in both patients groups. Gastroesophageal reflux was detected in in 48 (74%) of 65 male patients and 28 (58%) of 48 female patients. Reflux was more common in boys than girls. Patients were divided into 3 age groups as 0-2 years old, 3-5 years old and 6-16 years old respectively. Gastroesophageal reflux were detected scintigraphically in 15 (75%) of 20 patients in group 1, 16 (70%) of 23 patients in group 2 and in 45 (64%) of 70 patients in group 3. The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux decreases by the increasing age. But the difference between RAD and RRI patients, boys and girls, and age groups in terms of gastroesofageal reflux incidence was not significant statistically. The relationship between the reflux and the symptoms of common cough (90%), dyspnea (48%), wheezing (44%), high fever (38%) and nasal discharge (19%) was not significant either.High incidence of the gastroesophageal reflux in infants and children with respiratory diseases indicates that the gastroesophageal reflux has an important role in the etiopathogenesis of these diseases. Scintigraphy is a noninvasive, practical, physiological, sensitive and reliable technique in detecting gastroesophageal reflux in children.Key words: gastroesofageal reflux, gastroesofageal scintigraphy, respiratory symptoms.