Ca. Friesen et al., GRASP BIOPSY, SUCTION BIOPSY, AND CLINICAL HISTORY IN THE EVALUATION OF ESOPHAGITIS IN INFANTS 0-6 MONTHS OF AGE, Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 20(3), 1995, pp. 300-304
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.