title: [The diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux in childhood: a comparison between echography and pH measurement].
abstract: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a very common event in childhood. Therefore we must use an exact and nontraumatizing test to differentiate between physiologic and pathologic conditions. Sonography appears to be a methodology endowed with these particularities. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of Ultrasound (US) in comparison with a very precise test: the pH monitoring. We studied, by both methodologies, 76 children with suspected GER. Compared to pH-metry data, sonography showed a diagnostic sensitivity of 88,46% and a specificity of 58,33%. Therefore US appears to be an efficacious and innocuous test both in the screening and in the follow-up of patients with GER.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Pediatrica III, Università di Bologna, Italia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Collina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pession
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corvaglia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sciutti
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Diagnosi di reflusso gastroesofageo nell'infanzia: confronto tra ecografia e pH-metria.