The Association Between Abdominal Sonographic and Endoscopic Findings in a Pediatric Cohort with Upper Abdominal Pain

Abstract

Objective:

A pediatric upper abdominal pain evaluation can be challenging due to the broad differential diagnoses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between abdominal sonography and gold-standard endoscopy findings in a cohort of pediatric patients.

Materials and Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 40 children undergoing abdominal sonography and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were evaluated. Sonographic measurements included wall thicknesses, and anatomical dimensions were compared with endoscopic findings that were categorized as esophageal, gastric, or duodenal lesions.

Results:

Of the 40 patients (7.8 ± 4.6 years; 57.5% male), common sonographic abnormalities included increased gastric body (75%) and cardia (57.5%) wall thickness and increased abdominal esophageal length (75%). Endoscopic findings revealed esophageal lesions in 35%, gastric lesions in 32.5%, and duodenal lesions in 20% of patients. No statistically significant associations were found between any sonographic parameters, which included wall thickness, pyloric length, or the angle of His, as well as the presence of esophageal (p = .12–1.00), gastric (p = .20–1.00), or duodenal lesions (p = .31–1.00). Similarly, clinical variables such as age, symptom duration, and prior medication use showed no significant correlation with endoscopic abnormalities (p > .05).

Conclusion:

In this cohort of children, abdominal sonography demonstrated limited diagnostic value in detecting mucosal gastrointestinal lesions for those with upper abdominal pain. This may suggest that abdominal sonography should not replace endoscopic evaluation.