Radionuclide scintigraphy in the evaluation of gastro-oesophageal reflux in post-operative oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula patients

Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) is a major cause of morbidity in children who undergo surgical repair for oesophageal atresia with tracheo-oesophageal fistula (OA/TOF). We performed a retrospective analysis to determine the incidence of GOR on radionuclide scintigraphy in symptomatic and asymptomatic OA/TOF patients in the first post-operative year. A total of 124 patients (74 males, 50 females), with a mean age of 3.5 months (range, 20 days to 12 months), were studied. Of these 124 patients, 67 were symptomatic and 57 were asymptomatic. On radionuclide scintigraphy, 73 patients (48 symptomatic and 25 asymptomatic) had reflux. Of the 48 symptomatic patients with scintigraphic studies positive for reflux, 79.2% (38) had proximal reflux and 20.8% (10) had distal reflux, whereas, of the 57 asymptomatic patients, 48% (12) had proximal reflux and 52% (13) had distal reflux. There was a significantly higher incidence of GOR in symptomatic children than in asymptomatic children (P