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

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