GASTRITIS, GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE, AND CONSTIPATION: AN OVERLAP SYNDROME?

Overlap syndrome is a common occurrence in gastroenterological practice. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overlap syndrome in children with gastritis and gastroduodenitis and to evaluate its clinical manifestations. A total of 100 children with chronic gastritis or gastroduodenitis treated in the gastroenterology department of the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital No. 1 were examined. Half of the children with chronic gastritis or gastroduodenitis also had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and 35% exhibited a combination of chronic gastritis/gastroduodenitis, GERD, and functional constipation. Clinical manifestations in such cases were similar: almost all children (98.0%) experienced pain syndrome. The typical GERD symptom of "heartburn" was more common in children with GERD (48%), though it was also reported in 34% of children without GERD. Constipation was associated with symptoms such as bloating and abdominal rumbling (78.0%, p=0.00001 and 71.0%, p=0.001, respectively).