Endoscopic prevalence of different grades of gastroesophageal reflux in adult asthmatics with or without reflux symptoms

Abstract

Abstract Background Gastroesophageal reflux and asthma often coexist in the same patient. Persons with asthma are particularly prone to asymptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Esophageal pH-probe studies have documented that 32–84% of the asthmatics have abnormal acid reflux. The endoscopic assessment of esophageal mucosal changes in patients with reflux symptoms is important to diagnose patients with various degrees of severity. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to detect the prevalence of different grades of GERD in adult asthmatics with or without GERD symptoms by using upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Patients and methods This study included 50 adult patients with different levels of asthma control according to the Asthma Control Test scoring system. Patients were classified into two groups (symptomatic and less symptomatic) according to the GERD questionnaire. All patients were blindly subjected to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Endoscopic grading was carried out using the Los Angeles grading system for GERD. Results GERD was endoscopically detected in 36 patients out of 50 (72%); most of them presented with grade B gastroesophageal reflux (28%). No significant difference was observed in GERD prevalence related to the level of asthma control (P=0.98). No significant difference was observed in endoscopic GERD prevalence between symptomatic and less symptomatic groups (P=0.53). Conclusion GERD with variable grades is prevalent endoscopically among adult asthmatics at all levels of asthma control with no difference between symptomatic and less symptomatic groups.

Keywords

• asthma
• endoscopy
• gastroesophageal reflux disease