title: Lack of correlation between extended pH monitoring and scintigraphy in the evaluation of infants with gastroesophageal reflux.
abstract: Sixty-nine infants younger than 1 year of age, with symptoms of persistent vomiting, recurrent choking, apnea, persistent cough, or stridor, were evaluated for gastroesophageal reflux. All infants underwent extended intraesophageal pH monitoring for 16 to 24 hours as well as gastroesophageal scintigraphy with technetium 99m sulfur colloid to study the correlation between the two tests. Forty-eight infants exhibited reflux with extended pH monitoring whereas 46 infants showed reflux with scintigraphy. However, the diagnosis of reflux in individual patients by extended pH monitoring corresponded poorly with the diagnosis of reflux in the same patients by scintigraphy. Similarly, no correlation was observed between extended pH monitoring and scintigraphy results, whether expressed as percent gastric emptying or as gastroesophageal reflux ratio. We conclude that extended pH monitoring and scintigraphy measure different pathophysiologic phenomena and detect reflux under different conditions. The ability of these tests to detect reflux may be complementary and they may be of greatest value when used together to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic evaluation. Extended pH monitoring and scintigraphy should not be used interchangeably to monitor gastroesophageal reflux.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University, Detroit.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tolia
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Calhoun
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Kuhns
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kauffman
mesh_terms: D004947:Esophagus / Q000503:physiopathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging