Frequency of reflux esophagitis in celiac disease [Çölyak hastaliginda reflü ösefajit sikligi]

Gastrointestinal motor abnormalities, such as decrease in lower eosophageal sphincter pressure, have been defined in patients with celiac disease. Hence, these patients have risk for reflux esophagitis. In this study, we evaluate the frequency of reflux esophagitis and reflux symptoms in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed celiac disease. The study consisted of 71 patients with celiac disease and 292 children who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy due to chronic abdominal pain, vomiting or gastrointestinal bleeding at the time of the study. Nineteen celiac patients (26.7%) and 34 patients (11.6%) in the control group had reflux esophagitis in the histopathological examination of distal esophageal biopsies (p<0.001). Symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and dysphagia were more common in celiac patients with reflux oesophagitis (p<0.05 for nausea). No significant difference was found in terms of histopathological grade in celiac patients with and without reflux esophagitis. Patients with reflux esophagitis had lower ferritin levels than the others (4.6±3.5 µg/dl, 10.1 ± 12.9 µg/dl; p