Hepatocellular adenomas in the Turkish population: reclassification according to updated World Health Organization criteria.

AIMS: Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is an uncommon liver neoplasm, and studies of HCA subtypes have been primarily limited to France, the USA, and Japan. The aim of this study was to describe the clinicopathological features of HCA subtypes in Turkey. METHODS AND RESULTS: The resection specimens of 59 cases diagnosed as 'hepatocellular adenoma' collected from 15 institutions were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis and to classify them according to the current World Health Organization 2019 classification. Immunostaining for glutamine synthetase, liver fatty acid-binding protein, C-reactive protein, ß-catenin and reticulin was performed. Of the 59 cases, 48 (81%) were diagnosed as HCA. We identified 24 (50%) hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF1α)-inactivated HCAs, five (10%) inflammatory HCAs, 15 (32%) ß-catenin-activated HCAs, three (6%) ß-catenin-activated inflammatory HCAs, and one (2%) unclassified HCA. HCA patients were predominantly female (female/male ratio of 5:1); they had a median age of 34 years and a median tumour diameter of 60 mm. In the ß-catenin-activated HCA group, nine cases (19%) showed cytoarchitectural atypia, and were also referred to as atypical hepatocellular neoplasms. In the ß-catenin-activated HCA group, three cases (6%) showed focal areas supportive of transition to HCA. The original diagnosis of HCA was changed to well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma in nine cases and to focal nodular hyperplasia in two cases. CONCLUSION: In our series, the major HCA subtype was HNF1α-inactivated HCA. We found a low incidence of inflammatory-type HCA. Our data also showed that ß-catenin-activated hepatocellular neoplasms, including cases with atypical histology, constituted a relatively high proportion of the cases. These findings are in contrast to those of most other studies of HCA subtypes.

The prognostic relationship between histopathological and immunohistochemical features of hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and mixed type.

Hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma are the most common cancers of the liver. In this study, our first aim is to evaluate the relationship between prognosis and clinicopathological parameters. The second aim involves investigating the need for immunohistochemical staining and patterns of tumours to differentiate between them. Sixty-one cases were included in this study. For IHC, we used Hep par-1, CK7, CK19, CD56 and p53 staining, and the patterns of tumours were evaluated in haematoyxylin-eosin sections. No significant differences were found in Kaplan-Meier life analysis between the tumour types and OS and DFS values, but these values were greater in HCC than in ICC. There were no relationships between clinicopathologic parameters and OS and DFS. Although the multifocality, stage and grade of tumour were higher in HCC than in ICC, the perineural invasion and lymph node metastasis were more common in ICC than in HCC. The diagnosis was changed in 4 cases, from HCC to ICC in one case and to combined type in 3 cases after IHC. Pathologist should be alert to mixed patterns in terms of diagnosis and IHC, because it helps differential diagnosis in these cases.

Clinical and pathological characteristics and their effect on survival in elderly patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

PURPOSE: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are common tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Their most frequent location is the stomach. Although the clinical and pathological characteristics of the disease are well-known, the clinical and pathological characteristics and the response to treatment are not clear in elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of GISTs in elderly patients with an aim at improving the therapeutic methodology and survival. METHODS: In this study, clinicopathological characteristics, evaluation of treatments administered and survival analyses were performed in patients aged 65 years or above, whose data were registered via a web-based patient records system following admission to three centers. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients aged 65 years or above were included in the study. According to the risk classification, 24 (28.2%) were in the low risk group, 20 (23.5%) in the moderate risk group, and 41 (48.3%) in high risk group, while no patient was in the very low risk group. At baseline, 70% of the patients had localized disease and 30% metastatic disease. The tumor was located in the stomach in the majority of the patients (45.6%). The tumor size most commonly seen was 5-10 cm (N=31; 36.4%). Of the 85 patients 23 (27%) were treated with imatinib 400 mg/d. Eight patients (9.4%) with metastatic disease switched from imatinib to sunitinib. At a median follow-up of 76 months (range 1-323), median overall survival (OS) was 72 months, without significant difference between elderly and younger patients. CONCLUSION: Clinicopathological characteristics and their prognostic impact on the disease course of elderly GIST patients should be elucidated in depth. Since age didn't show prognostic importance, other parameters should be used as prognostic/predictive factors in the tyrosine kinase inhibitors era in order to obtain improved therapeutic results.

Living donor right lobe liver transplantation as a treatment for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis: report of three cases.

Echinococcus alveolaris is a parasite from tenia family which causes tumor-like lesions in the livers of infected people. If it is not diagnosed in the early stage of the disease, it frequently causes multiple cysts in the liver. The clinical importance of the disease is rapid progression, infiltration into different tissues like a malignant tumor and capacity of creating metastatic masses. The disease could be treated either by surgical resection or liver transplantation. The resection of the cystic disease is the preferred treatment method. In cases where resection is not possible, liver transplantation is the choice of treatment. Here we present three cases which were admitted to the hospital with unresectable hepatic alveolar echinococcosis and treated by liver transplantation successfully. Patients for whom surgical resection is not possible, we recommend liver transplantation as the treatment method.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors in Turkey: experiences from 3 centers.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are rare tumors of the gastrointestinal system. The most common primary site of GIST is the stomach. The treatment is primarily surgery, and the standard medical therapy is imatinib. Long-term survival can be obtained with good follow-up and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, data entry was performed using a web-based patient registry system for patients who were referred to 3 centers and retrospectively were diagnosed with GIST. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 249 patients, including 160 men (64.3%) and 89 women (35.7%). The mean age was 59 years (range 21-90 years). Initially, 69.9% of the patients had local disease, while 30.1% had metastatic disease. The tumor was located in the stomach in 45.6% of patients. According to the Fletcher risk classification, the very low risk group included 8 subjects (3.2%), the low risk group included 40 subjects (16.1%), the moderate risk group included 56 subjects (22.5%), and the high risk group included 117 subjects (47%); the unspecified group included 28 subjects (11.5%). CONCLUSION: These data are important for revealing the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival data of patients with GIST, who are treated and followed up in Turkey.

Xanthomatous hyperplastic polyps of the stomach: clinicopathologic study of 5 patients with polypoid gastric lesions showing combined features of gastric xanthelasma and hyperplastic polyp.

Gastric xanthelasmas are uncommon benign lesions that are macroscopically well-demarcated yellow or yellow-white plaques and are microscopically formed by collections of foamy macrophages. Because gastric hyperplastic polyps may rarely be associated with xanthelasma, we aimed to report 5 cases of combined lesions showing features of gastric xanthelasma and hyperplastic polyps observed over the past 3 years at our institution among 4497 patients who underwent gastric endoscopy. The patients were 3 men and 2 women aged 45 to 78 years. The lesions were located in oxyntic mucosa, except one in the antrum, and measured 2 to 6 mm. Three patients showed associated chronic gastritis; none showed evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection. Combined lesions of hyperplastic polyp with xanthelasma appear to have an association with chronic gastritis, and the lipid accumulation may be the cause of hyperplasia in the overlying mucosa.

Lactoferrin levels in the gastric tissue of Helicobacter pylori-positive and -negative patients and its effect on anemia.

AIM: To determine gastric tissue lactoferrin (Lf) levels of Helicobacter pylori- (Hp-) positive and -negative patients and its effect on anemia. METHODS: Cases in which initial presentation was of abdominal pain and that were Hp-positive at endoscopy were included. Hp-positive cases and -negative controls were divided into two groups. RESULTS: The study included 64 cases (average: 10.2 ± 0.4 years, 39 male and 25 female). Lf levels were subsequently studied on 61 cases. 45 (73.8%) of these were Hp-positive, while 16 (22.2%) were Hp-negative. In Hp-positive cases, mean staining percentages and density of glands in the antral mucosa were 45.5 ± 4.7% and 1.9 ± 0.1, respectively. Hp-negative cases showed significantly different values of 17.8 ± 4.5% and 1.3 ± 0.2, respectively. Hemoglobin and serum ferritin values of Hp-positive cases were 12.7 ± 0.2 g/dL and 32.5 ± 2 ng/mL, but these were comparable with Hp-negative cases (12.6 ± 0.1 g/dL and 30.7 ± 4.4 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS: Tissue Lf was significantly higher in Hp-positive cases compared to Hp-negative cases, but no difference was observed between the two groups with regards to hemoglobin and ferritin level. As a result, it is difficult to say that this rise in Lf plays a role in the development of iron deficiency anemia in Hp-positive patients.

AFP level and histologic differentiation predict the survival of patients with liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In liver transplantation or resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), patient selection depends on morphological features. In patients with HCC, we performed a clinicopathological analysis of risk factors that affected survival after liver transplantation. METHODS: In 389 liver transplantations performed from 2004 to 2010, 102 were for HCC patients. Data were collected retrospectively from the Organ Transplantation Center Database. Variables were as follows: age, gender, preoperative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, Child-Pugh and MELD scores, prognostic staging criteria (Milan and UCSF), etiology, number of tumors, the largest tumor size, total tumor size, multifocality, intrahepatic portal vein tumor thrombosis, bilobarity, and histological differentiation. RESULTS: One hundred and two patients were evaluated. The 5-year overall survival rate was 56.5%. According to the UCSF criteria, 63% of the patients were within and 37% were beyond UCSF (P=0.03). Ten patients were excluded (one with fibrolamellary HCC and 9 because of early postoperative death without HCC recurrence), and 92 patients were assessed. The mean age of the patients was 56.5+/-6.9 years. Sixty-two patients underwent living donor liver transplantations. The mean follow-up time was 29.4+/-22.6 months. Fifteen patients (16.3%) died in the follow-up period due to HCC recurrence. Univariate analysis showed that AFP level, intrahepatic portal vein tumor thrombosis, histologic differentiation and UCSF criteria were significant factors related to survival and tumor recurrence.The 5-year estimated overall survival rate was 62.2% in all patients. According to the UCSF criteria, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 66.7% within and 52.7% beyond the criteria (P=0.04). Multivariate analysis showed that AFP level and poor differentiation were independent factors. CONCLUSIONS: For proper patient selection in liver transplantation for HCC, prognostic criteria related to tumor biology (especially AFP level and histological differentiation) should be considered. Poor differentiation and higher AFP levels are indicators of poor prognosis after liver transplantation.

Vitamin E has a dual effect of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Increased free radical production, decreased antioxidant capacity and excessive inflammation are well-known features in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and a scavenger of hydroxyl radicals, and it has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activities in tissues. We investigated the effects of vitamin E on inflammatory activities using an acetic acid (AA)-induced ulcerative colitis model in rats. METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. Acetic acid was given to 2 groups of animals to induce colitis while the other 2 groups received saline intrarectally. One AA-induced colitis group and 1 control group received vitamin E (30 U/kg/d) intraperitoneally and the pair groups received saline. After 4 days, we evaluated colonic changes biochemically by measuring proinflammatory cytokine levels in tissue homogenates and by histopathologic examination. RESULTS: Acetic acid caused colonic mucosal injury, whereas vitamin E administration suppressed these changes in the AA-induced colitis group (p < 0.001). Administration of AA resulted in increased levels of tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde, and decreased levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase; vitamin E reversed these effects (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study proposes that vitamin E is an effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and may be a promising therapeutic option for ulcerative colitis.

The Role of 18F-FDG PET/MRI in the Assessment of Primary Intrahepatic Neoplasms.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the results of 18F-FDG PET/MRI in relation to the histopathologic subtypes and histologic grades of mass-forming primary intrahepatic neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) results for 39 patients with histopathologically confirmed primary hepatic neoplasms, 15 with mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and 24 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and standardized uptake value (SUV) were analyzed in relation to the histopathologic diagnosis and histologic grade, including calculating the sensitivity and specificity of the imaging findings. RESULTS: The median SUV of ICC (6.0 [interquartile range, 5-10]) was significantly higher than that of HCC (4.0 [2.62-6.50]) (p = 0.002). An area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79 (95% confidence interval 0.649-0.932) had a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 67% at the best cut-off SUV of 4.41 to differentiate between ICC and HCC. ADC values did not differ significantly between HCCs and ICCs (p = 0.283). Both SUV and ADC values differed significantly between low-grade (well- and moderately differentiated) and high-grade (poorly differentiated) HCCs. Combining ADC and SUV further improved differentiation of low- from high-grade HCCs to a significant level (0.929). The SUV did not differ significantly between ICC histologic grades (p = 0.280), while the ADC differed significantly only between well and poorly differentiated ICCs (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Assessing primary hepatic neoplasms with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MRI may help to predict tumor grade and differentiate between types of intrahepatic neoplasms.

Congenital midline cervical cleft: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Midline cervical cleft is a very rare congenital anomaly. According to a literature search, until 2014 only 205 cases were reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a classic case of congenital midline cervical cleft. This was a case of a 3-year-old Middle Eastern boy. The lesion was excised and the defect was closed via multiple Z-plasties. CONCLUSIONS: Midline cervical cleft, although a rarity, when presented needs surgical treatment, which comprises surgical excision and closure that lessens the possibility of scar visibility and contracture.

Value of Intravoxel Incoherent Motion for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Grading.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters in estimation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) grading. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with histopathologically diagnosed as 42 HCC at explant were included in this retrospective study. All patients were examined by 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging with the use of 4-channel phased array body coil. In addition to routine pre- and postcontrast sequences, IVIM (16 different b factors varying from 0 to 1300 s/mm2) and conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (3 different b factors of 50, 400, 800 s/mm2) were obtained with single-shot echo planar spin echo sequence. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and IVIM parameters including mean D (true diffusion coefficient), D* (pseudo-diffusion coefficient associated with blood flow), and f (perfusion fraction) values were calculated. Histopathologically, HCC was classified as low (grade 1, 2) and high (grade 3, 4) grade in accordance with the Edmondson-Steiner score. Quantitatively, ADC, D, D*, and f values were compared between the low- and high-grade groups by Student t test. The relationship between the parameters and histologic grade was analyzed using the Spearman's correlation test. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the parameters, receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed. RESULTS: High-grade HCCs had significantly lower ADC and D values than low grade groups (P = .005 and P = .026, retrospectively); ADC and D values were inversely correlated with tumor grade (r = -0.519, P = .011, r = -0.510, P = .026, respectively). High-grade HCCs had significantly higher f values when compared with the low-grade group (P = .005). The f values were positively correlated with tumor grade (r = 0.548, P = .007). The best discriminative parameter was f value. Cut-off value of 32% of f values showed sensitivity of 75.6% and a specificity of 73.5%. CONCLUSION: ADC values and IVIM parameters such as f values appear to reflect the grade of HCCs.

Body Mass Index and Unenhanced CT as a Predictor of Hepatic Steatosis in Potential Liver Donors.

BACKGROUND: In living-donor liver transplantation, donor hepatic steatosis is crucial for both the donor and the recipient. Body mass index (BMI) and the unenhanced computed tomography liver attenuation index (CT LAI) are noninvasive methods to predict hepatic steatosis in living-donor liver candidates. AIM: To analyze the diagnostic accuracy of CT LAI in conjunction with different BMI values for macrovesicular steatosis in living-donor liver candidates. METHODS: A total of 264 potential liver donors were included. The diagnostic accuracy of 2 CT LAI cut-offs and 3 BMI cut-off values for the assessment of hepatic steatosis ≥15% and ≤5% was determined. RESULTS: Using CT LAI, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.97 (95% CI = 0.89-0.99) for hepatic steatosis ≥15% in donors with BMI <25 kg/m2. For detecting hepatic steatosis ≥15%, a CT LAI ≤0 had specificities of 100%, 76.2%, and 55.6% and positive predictive values of 100%, 95.5%, and 93.5% for patients with BMI values <25 kg/m2, 25 to 29.9 kg/m2, and ≥30 kg/m2, respectively. According to logistic regression analyses, only CT LAI ≤0 was found to be independently associated with hepatic steatosis ≥15%. CONCLUSIONS: In donors with BMI <30 kg/m2 and a CT LAI value >6, liver biopsy might be avoided. Biopsy may be reserved solely for donors with CT LAI value >0 and BMI ≥30 kg/m2 as the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography for predicting hepatic steatosis decreases with increasing BMI.

Passage of "colonic cast" after colorectal surgery: report of four cases and review of the literature.

Anal passage of a full-thickness infarcted colonic segment (so-called "cast") not accompanied by any features of acute peritonitis is a very rare occurrence and may be the main advertising manifestation of acute colonic ischemia. Most of the reported cases of acute colonic ischemia are secondary to abdominal aortic aneurysms and ensuing inferior mesenteric artery thrombosis or to the repair of these aneurysms. The preceding events causing ischemia in other cases are Hartmann reversal, rectal resection and colonic J-pouch construction, and acute pancreatitis. In this article we present our experience on four cases of colonic cast passage, all of which developed subsequent to colorectal resection. Three of these casts are supposed to be mucosal and one is transmural. Generally, surgery is the rule and consists of the resection of the concerned ischemic segment. Every clinician should be aware of this form of presentation of bowel ischemia, not only following aneurysm surgery but also in the postoperative course of colorectal surgery.

Importance of MutL homologue MLH1 and MutS homologue MSH2 expression in Turkish patients with sporadic colorectal cancer.

AIM: To assess the incidence of MLH1 (the human MutL homologue) and MSH2 (the human MutS homologue) protein expression in Turkish patients with sporadic colorectal cancers and to compare their survival and clinicopathological features. METHODS: We validated the tissue microarray technology in 77 colorectal carcinomas by analyzing the immunohistochemical expression of proteins involved in two main pathways of colorectal carcinogenesis: p53 protein for loss of heterozygosity tumors; MLH1 and MSH2 proteins for microsatellite instability (MSI). RESULTS: Our analysis showed that 29 (39.2%) had loss of MLH1 expression, 5 (6.8%) had loss of MSH2 expression and 2 cases had loss of expression of both proteins. We found that 60% of MSH2-negative tumors were located in the right side of the colon; all MSH2-negative cases were women. In addition, the loss of MSH2 expression was correlated with low p53 expression. Neither MLH1 nor MSH2 expressions were associated with prognosis, although there seemed a tendency of longer survival (71.7 +/- 8.65 mo vs 47.08 +/- 5.26 mo) for the patients with MLH1-negative versus MLH1-positive carcinomas. There were not significant differences in overall and recurrence-free survival among MLH1/MSH2-positive and -negative cases. CONCLUSION: Our data supports that Turkish patients with MLH1- and MSH2-defective tumors have some distinct features from each other. Although prognostic importance remains controversial, immunohistochemical analysis of mismatch repair genes may be used as a routine histopathological examination of sporadic colorectal carcinomas.

Primary umbilical adenocarcinoma: case report and review of the literature.

Primary adenocarcinoma arising at the umbilicus is a very rare condition. The umbilicus has been found to show a wide variety of tumors and is predisposed to metastases from visceral tumors because of its relationships and generous vascular and embryologic connections. Herein, we describe a case of a primary umbilical adenocarcinoma with short time survival related to local recurrence and multiple hepatic metastases 6 months after her surgical treatment.

The effects of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion on colonic anastomosis: an experimental study in a rat model.

INTRODUCTION: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with subsequent hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a promising modality to treat and prevent peritoneal metastases. However, this treatment is associated with signficant morbidity and mortality. Whether or not CRS with HIPEC interferes with anastomotic healing has also been debated. This study was designed to investigate the effects of mitomycin C, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and doxorubicin used in HIPEC treatment on colonic anastomosis healing in a rat model. METHODS: Sixty Wistar albino rats were employed in the study. Sigmoid resection and end-to-end colorectal anastomosis was performed in all rats. Group 1 rats underwent the surgical procedure alone, while group 2 rats were given hyperthermic intraperitoneal lavage with heated saline following surgery. Groups 3, 4, 5, and 6 had surgery with concomitant HIPEC treatment with mitomycin C, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and doxorubicin, respectively. Anastomotic bursting pressures and hydroxyproline levels were evaluated. RESULTS: Regarding the hydroxyproline levels, groups 1 and 2 showed significantly higher values than other groups (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the HIPEC treatment groups (groups 3, 4, 5, and 6) (p>0.05). When groups were compared regarding bursting pressure values, no significant differences were observed (p = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the HIPEC procedure with mitomycin C, cisplatin, oxaliplatin and doxorubicin had negative effects on hydroxyproline levels, but had no detrimental effect on anastomotic bursting pressure in a rat model.

Dense eosinophilic infiltration of the mucosa preceding ulcerative colitis and mimicking eosinophilic colitis: report of two cases.

There is increasing evidence about the involvement of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. We report here two patients with ulcerative colitis who were initially diagnosed as eosinophilic colitis based on histopathological examination during their first attacks. They had symptomatic improvement with ketotifen and metronidazole during their first attacks. However, subsequent attacks which were histopathologically diagnosed as ulcerative colitis did not resolve with the above-mentioned treatment and necessitated a treatment with 5-ASA agents plus corticosteroids. Azathioprine also had to be added in the treatment of the second patient. Dense eosinophilic infiltration in these cases may suggest a role of eosinophils in the initiation of attacks in some ulcerative colitis patients.

Long-Term Palliative Effect of Stenting in Gastric Outlet Obstruction Due to Transarterial Chemoembolization with Yttrium-90 in a Patient with Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor.

Internal radioembolization with yttrium-90 is a promising treatment method, predominantly for liver tumors. However, the shifting of yttrium-90-loaded spherules into the arteries and veins that supply the duodenum and stomach, leading to ulceration, hemorrhage, perforation, and outlet obstruction of these organs, is one of the major undesirable consequences of this technique. We report a case of gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) due to antropyloric stenosis with ulceration, edema, and inflammation following transarterial yttrium-90 treatment for a metastatic neuroendocrine tumor in a 58-year-old man. Stenting was used for palliation in this case. GOO improved after stenting and recovery of oral intake was permanent after stent removal.

Evaluation of the likelihood of reflux developing in patients with recurrent upper respiratory infections, recurrent sinusitis or recurrent otitis seen in ear-nose-throat outpatient clinics.

Gastroesophageal reflux is considered a risk factor for recurrent or persistent upper and lower respiratory tract conditions including asthma, chronic cough, sinusitis, laryngitis, serous otitis and paroxysmal laryngospasm. Fifty-one subjects with recurrent (more than three) episodes of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), serous otitis or sinusitis who had been admitted to an earnose- throat (ENT) outpatient clinic during the previous year were enrolled in the present study to evaluate the presence of laryngeal and/or esophageal reflux. The participants, who were randomly selected, were questioned about symptoms of reflux, including vomiting, abdominal pain, failure to thrive, halitosis, bitter taste in the mouth, chronic cough, heartburn, constipation and hoarseness. All subjects had an endoscopic examination, an otoscopic examination, a tympanogram and upper GI system endoscopy. Esophagitis was diagnosed endoscopically and histologically. The likelihood of occurrence of esophagitis was found to be higher only among subjects with postglottic edema/erythema as determined by pathological laryngeal examination. The reflux complaints reported did not predict the development of esophagitis, but the odds of esophagitis occurring were ninefold greater among subjects with recurrent otitis. Of the subjects, 45.1% were Helicobacter pylori-positive. However, no association was found between esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori positivity. The likelihood of the occurrence of esophagitis was found to be increased in the presence of recurrent otitis media and/or postglottic edema, irrespective of the presence of reflux symptoms. We concluded that, in contrast to the situation where adults are concerned, the boundaries for discriminating laryngopharyngeal reflux from gastroesophageal reflux are somewhat blurred in pediatric patients.