GRASP BIOPSY, SUCTION BIOPSY, AND CLINICAL HISTORY IN THE EVALUATION OF ESOPHAGITIS IN INFANTS 0-6 MONTHS OF AGE

Fifty-three infants 0-6 months of age with abnormal 24-h intraesophage al pH monitoring were evaluated by esophageal suction biopsies and end oscopic grasp biopsies. Histologic esophagitis was present in 30% of t he infants. Of the infants with esophagitis, 88% were accurately ident ified by suction biopsy, and 75% were accurately identified by endosco pic grasp biopsy. Suction biopsy alone was not significantly different from combined grasp and suction biopsy, while differences between gra sp biopsy and combined biopsy approached significance (p = 0.051). Twe lve clinical symptoms and 21 intraesophageal pH monitoring parameters were evaluated for their ability to predict esophagitis, and none were found to be useful. We conclude that endoscopic esophageal biopsy, wh ile more costly, offers no advantage over suction biopsy for the detec tion of esophagitis in young infants.