Background: A Schatzki ring (SR) is an uncommon finding in children. Entities previously associated with an SR include gastroesophageal reflux (GER), hiatal hernia (HH) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EE).
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall incidence of SR and the frequency of the different entities associated with SR in the pediatric population.
Materials and methods: All radiology reports finalized between January 2000 and December 2009 were queried to identify patients with an SR. Each study identified through the search was reviewed to confirm the presence of a SR. The patient's electronic medical record was then searched to identify all associated findings.
Results: A total of 18,668 upper gastrointestinal (GI) examinations or esophagrams were performed in 15,410 children and young adults during the study period. After reviewing the reports and images, 25 patients (0.2% of all patients) were confirmed to have a SR. Of these 24 patients (96%) had HH; 10/25 (40%) had EE, and 10/25 (40%) had GER.
Conclusion: SR is a rare diagnosis in children. Three entities are commonly associated with a ring: HH, EE and GER. Because of the relatively high incidence of EE, endoscopy and biopsy should be considered whenever a SR is identified in a child.