Prevalence of interstitial lung disease in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of interstitial lung diseases in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and to show the correlation between them. Background Interstitial lung diseases are a common complication in patients with GERD because of repeated aspiration of gastric acid. Patient and methods One hundred patients with GERD (25 patients with GERD grade A, 25 patients with GERD grade B, 25 patients with GERD grade C, and 25 patients with GERD grade D) with no past history of pulmonary diseases, collagen vascular diseases, chronic liver diseases, or ascites were enrolled in this study. All patients were subjected to the following after obtaining their oral consent for participation: complete medical history, examination, laboratory investigations, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, radiological investigation [plain chest radiography and chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)], and pulmonary function tests [spirometry and diffusing lung capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO)]. Results When the severity of GERD increased the mean percentage of DLCO decreased (patients with GERD grade D had the lowest DLCO (75.4 ± 26.8). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the grades of GERD, DLCO, and forced vital capacity%. There was a highly statistically significant difference as regards grades of GERD in relation to chest HRCT results (P Conclusion The present data support and extend the theory of a high incidence of pulmonary involvement in GERD patients even in those patients free of respiratory symptoms.