title: Surface electrogastrography in children with esophageal atresia.
abstract: Surface electrogastrography was performed in 18 patients with esophageal atresia (EA) and 10 normal controls to investigate the possible role of a congenital enteric nerve defect as a cause of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which is common after repair of EA. The means of the dominant frequencies and ranges of the frequency distribution were compared. The dominant frequencies (0.047+/-0.007 Hz) in the EA group did not differ significantly from those of the controls (0.050+/-0.007 Hz, P >0.1), although 2 patients had bradygastria and 2 had tachygastria in the EA group. The range of the frequency distribution was significantly wider in the EA group compared with normal children (P = 0.002). The wide frequency distribution in children with EA suggests disturbed electrical activity of the stomach, which could be associated with poor electromechanical coupling and, hence abnormal gastric contraction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milla
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004594:Electrophysiology; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004933:Esophageal Atresia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004946:Esophagostomy; D004947:Esophagus / Q000294:innervation*; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013270:Stomach / Q000294:innervation*