Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2011 May;73(5):875-80.
doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2011.01.017. Epub 2011 Feb 26.

Barrett's esophagus in children and adolescents without neurodevelopmental or tracheoesophageal abnormalities: a prospective study

Dang M Nguyen  1 , Hashem B El-Serag, Mitchell Shub, Mark Integlia, Louise Henderson, Peter Richardson, Kenneth Fairly, Mark A Gilger
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Barrett's esophagus in children and adolescents without neurodevelopmental or tracheoesophageal abnormalities: a prospective study

Dang M Nguyen et al. Gastrointest Endosc. 2011 May.

Abstract

Background: Barrett's esophagus (BE) in children has been examined in retrospective studies, consisting of case series and cross-sectional studies.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and determinants of BE in children who are free from neurodevelopmental disorders and tracheoesophageal abnormalities.

Design: A prospective, cross-sectional study.

Setting: Three pediatric GI Centers in Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and Portland, Maine between February 2006 and December 2007.

Patients: This study involved children and adolescents consecutively presenting for elective upper endoscopy. Patients with neurodevelopmental and tracheoesophageal disorders were excluded.

Intervention: Endoscopic pictures of all cases with suspected BE were independently reviewed and verified by two experienced investigators. Esophageal biopsy specimens were obtained in all patients, and targeted biopsy specimens also were obtained from suspected BE.

Main outcome measurements: Endoscopically suspected BE and histologically confirmed BE.

Results: A total of 840 patients (mean age 9.5 years) were enrolled and had complete questionnaire and endoscopic data. Twelve patients were suspected of having BE (prevalence of 1.43%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-2.45), and only 1 patient had intestinal metaplasia, for a prevalence of 0.12% (95% CI, 0-0.65), whereas the rest had gastric oxyntic glands (n=6) or squamous esophageal epithelium (n=5). Patients with suspected BE had a higher mean body mass index (23.0 vs 19.1, P=.05) and more chest pain (50% vs 13%, P<.01) than patients without BE or reflux esophagitis. There was a trend toward a higher frequency of dysphagia, heartburn, and regurgitation in patients with suspected BE.

Limitations: The accuracy of BE prevalence estimates is limited by the small number of cases.

Conclusion: BE is rare in children without neurodevelopmental delay or tracheoesophageal anomalies presenting for elective upper endoscopy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Endoscopic picture of the one patient with confirmed Barrett's esophagus based on endoscopic finding (C0M1) and histologic finding of specialized intestinal epithelium.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Shepherd RW, Wren J, Evans S, Lander M, Ong TH. Gastroesophageal reflux in children. Clinical profile, course and outcome with active therapy in 126 cases. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 1987;26:55–60. - PubMed
    1. Campanozzi A, Boccia G, Pensabene L, Panetta F, Marseglia A, Strisciuglio P, Barbera C, Magazzu G, Pettoello-Mantovani M, Staiano A. Prevalence and natural history of gastroesophageal reflux: pediatric prospective survey. Pediatrics. 2009;123:779–783. - PubMed
    1. El-Serag HB, Gilger M, Carter J, Genta RM, Rabeneck L. Childhood GERD is a risk factor for GERD in adolescents and young adults. Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;99:806–812. - PubMed
    1. El-Serag HB, Gilger M, Kuebeler M, Rabeneck L. Extraesophageal associations of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children without neurologic defects. Gastroenterology. 2001;121:1294–1299. - PubMed
    1. El-Serag HB, Bailey NR, Gilger M, Rabeneck L. Endoscopic manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients between 18 months and 25 years without neurological deficits. Am J Gastroenterol. 2002;97:1635–1639. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms