title: Factors Affecting the Prevalence of Gastro-oesophageal Reflux in Childhood Corrosive Oesophageal Strictures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastro-oesophageal reflux may accompany the corrosive oesophageal damage caused by the ingestion of corrosive substances and affect its treatment. The factors that affect the development of reflux in these cases and their effects on treatment still remain unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim is to investigate the prevalence of gastro-oesophageal reflux in children with corrosive oesophageal strictures, the risk factors affecting this prevalence and the effects of gastro-oesophageal reflux on treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 52 patients with oesophageal stricture due to corrosive substance ingestion who were referred to our clinic between 2003 and 2010. Groups, which were determined according to the presence of gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER), were compared with each other in terms of clinical findings, results of examination methods, characteristics of the stricture and success of the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total number of patients in our study was 52; 30 of them were male and 22 of them were female. The mean age of our study population was 4.2±2.88 years. Thirty-three patients had gastrooesophageal reflux (63.5%). Patients who had strictures caused by the ingestion of alkali substances were 1.6-times more likely to have reflux. There were no differences between patients with or without reflux in terms of number and localisation of strictures. Mean distance of stricture was longer in patients with reflux (3.7±1.8 cm) than in patients without (2.2±1.0 cm) (p<0.005). Only one patient among 17 who had a long stricture (≥4 cm) did not suffer from reflux. Patients with long stricture were 1.9-times more likely to have reflux. Dilatation treatment was successful in 69.6% of patients with reflux and in 78.9% of patients without. The mean treatment period was 8.41±6.1 months in patients with reflux and 8.21±8.4 months in the other group. There was no significant difference between groups in terms of frequency of dilatation and dilator diameters (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corrosive oesophageal stricture was usually accompanied by gastro-oesophageal reflux and the length of stricture is an important risk factor. Negative effects of reflux over dilatation treatment have not yet been demonstrated in the short-term. Nevertheless, this frequent rate of reflux may eventually increase the risk of oesophagitis and Barrett's oesophagus; therefore, we suggest that these effects should be prospectively evaluated in a large number of patients and these patients should be followed-up routinely in terms of the long-term effects of reflux.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serdar H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Iskit
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Numune Hospital, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ozçelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery Unit, Şehit Kamil Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selcan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Türker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Unal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zorludemir
keywords: Corrosive oesophageal burns; gastro-oesophageal reflux; oesophageal pH monitoring; oesophagitis