Background and Aim Glycogenic acanthosis (GA) is a common benign endoscopic and histopathological finding which has not known the pathogenesis and aetiology. There is a study about the relationship between GA and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) on adults in the literature.

Retrospective in nature the aim of our study was to find out whether GA is associated with GERD in children.

Methods A total of 213 children (101 females, average age 8.4±4.9 years, range 2 months-18 years), who underwent diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy during a three years period were included in this study.

The histopathological findings of GA and reflux-related changes according to Knuff & Leape classification were examined by the same pathologist. SPSS for Windows Release 16.0 was used to analyse the statistical data. All tests of statistical significance were two-sided with a p-value < 0.05.

Results Of the 213 children, 67 (31.4%) had GERD. GA was found in 38 (17.8%) of the 213 children. The prevalence of GA in the patients with GERD (12 of 67, 17.9%) and that in without (26 of 146, 17.8%) were similar. Likewise, when the prevalence of GERD in GA-positive patients (12 of 38, 31.6%) was compared with that in GA-negative patients (55 of 175, 31.4%), no statistically significant difference was found. It was found out that the prevalence of non-erosive reflux disease was quite alike in GA-positive and GA-negative children.

Conclusion Presence of GA was not associated with GERD in children.