Abstract
Introduction and
Aim: Functional gastrointestinal diseases are defined as chronic or recurrent symptoms not explained by structural or biochemical abnormalities. These are classified recently by Rome III criteria published in 2006. Our aim was to evaluate children with abdominal pain with regard to Rome III criteria.
Materials and Methods: Records of cases with abdominal pain presentation during last year were investigated. Age, gender, duration of symptoms, presence of alarm symptom, anthropometric measurements, physical examination and laboratory findings were recorded. Cases accepted as functional were classified according to Rome III criteria. Children with functional or organic abdominal pain were compared with regard to gender, age, duration of symptoms, physical examination findings, family story and anthropometric measurements.
Results: 135 patients (80 girls, mean age 8.7±3.1 years, mean duration of symptoms 1.5±1.4 years) were included. Of 80 patients (47 girls, mean age: 9.0±2.9 years) with functional gastrointestinal disease related to abdominal pain, 47 (59%) had functional dyspepsia, 18 (22%) functional abdominal pain, 11 (14%) irritable bowel syndrome and four (5%) abdominal migraine. No significant difference was noticed between cases with functional and organic reasons with regard to parameters above except weight for age and weight z score.
Conclusions: Most of the cases (59%) with abdominal pain had functional gastrointestinal disease related to abdominal pain. Functional dyspepsia was most frequent. On the other hand, none of the parameters like gender, age, duration of symptoms or physical examination findings, except weight z score and weight for age, was helpful in distinguishing functional and organic reasons
Keywords: Child, recurrent abdominal pain
References
- Oberlander TF, Rappaport LA. Recurrent abdominal pain during childhood. Pediatr Rev 1993 Aug; 14: 313-319.
- Malaty HM, Abudayyeh S, Fraley K, Graham DY, Gilger MA, Hollier DR. Recurrent abdominal pain in school children: effect of obesity and diet. Acta Paediatr 2007;96:572-576.
- Apley J, Naish N. Recurrent abdominal pains: a field survey of ,000 school children. Arch Dis Child 1958; 33: 165-170.
- Plunkett A, Beattie RM. Recurrent abdominal pain in childhood. J R Soc Med 2005; 98: 101-106.
- El-Matary W, Spray C, Sandhu B. Irritable bowel syndrome: the commonest cause of recurrent abdominal pain in children. Eur J Pediatr 2004; 163: 584-588.
- Rasquin A, Di Lorenzo C, Forbes D, Guiraldes E, Hyams JS, Stai- ano A, Walker LS. Childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders: Child/adolescent. Gastroenterology 2006; 130: 1527–1537.
- Rasquin-Weber A, Hyman PE, Cucchiara S, Fleisher DR, Hyams JS, Milla PJ, Staiano A. Childhood functional gastrointestinal di- sorders. Gut 1999; 45: II60-68.
- Walker LS, Lipani TA, Greene JW, Caines K, Stutts J, Polk DB, Caplan A, Rasquin-Weber A. Recurrent abdominal pain: Symptom subtypes based on the Rome II criteria for pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004; 38: 191.
- Ramchandani PG, Hotopf M, Sandhu B, Stein A; ALSPAC Study Team. The epidemiology of recurrent abdominal pain from 2 to 6 years of age: results of a large, population-based study. Pediatrics ; 116: 46-50. Schurman JV, Friesen CA, Danda CE, Andre L, Welchert E, La- venbarg T, Cocjin JT, Hyman PE. Diagnosing functional abdo- minal pain with the Rome II Criteria: parent, child, and clinician agreement. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2005; 41: 291-295.
- Devanarayana NM, de Silva DG, de Silva HJ. Aetiology of recur- rent abdominal pain in a cohort of Sri Lankan children. J Paediatr Child Health 2008; 44: 195-200.
- Ukarapol N, Lertprasertsuk N, Wongsawasdi L. Recurrent abdo- minal pain in children: the utility of upper endoscopy and histo- pathology. Singapore Med J 2004; 45: 121-124.
- Stordal K, Nygaard EA, Bentsen B. Organic abnormalities in re- current abdominal pain in children. Acta Paediatr 2001; 90: 638
