Cine-oeso-gastro-scintigraphy (COGS) and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR): a 15-year experience

Eight thousand COGS were performed, searching for, quantifying and visualizing GOR, and possibly associated oesophageal dismotility or gastric emptying disorders in neonates (15 %), infants (33 %), children 1-4 (20%), 4-8 (20%) and 8-16 years old (14%). Indications were medical or surgical, to diagnoses, assess or follow up GOR with or without treatment. GOR was discovered in 65 % of the cases. A respiratory contamination by GOR aspiration was visualized in 4 % of patients with recurrent respiratory diseases, or near miss from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Pathological patterns of gastric emptying in SIDS are emphasized. Oesophageal motility dysfunctions, primary or related to oesophagitis, are visualized and quantified by scintigraphic imaging. PH-metry and scintigraphy accuracies and their relative positions are discussed. (authors). 117 refs., 8 figs., 5 tabs