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Patterns of laryngopharyngeal and gastroesophageal reflux

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2009

K Sato*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
H Umeno
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
S Chitose
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
T Nakashima
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Kiminori Sato, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan. Fax: 81 942 37 1200 E-mail: kimisato@oct-net.ne.jp

Abstract

Objectives:

Double-probe, 24-hour pH monitoring remains the ‘gold standard’ for the diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease, even though there is no consensus on how to interpret the data collected.

Methods:

Tetra-probe, 24-hour pH monitoring was performed in 56 patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux, in order to investigate patterns of laryngopharyngeal and gastroesophageal reflux.

Results:

The number of reflux episodes and the total and percentage time periods spent with pH < 4.0 were correlated with the distance of the probe from the lower oesophageal sphincter. The number of reflux episodes and the total and percentage time periods with pH < 4.0 were greater when patients were upright (i.e. during the daytime). There were few laryngopharyngeal reflux events recorded for pH levels of <4.0; however, there were a significant number of laryngopharyngeal reflux events recorded for pH levels of <5.0, a level capable of causing laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. When a pH level of <5.0 was used, the number, total time and percentage time of laryngopharyngeal reflux episodes was greater during the supine period (i.e. during sleeping) in a quarter of the cases, compared with results when a pH of <4.0 was used.

Conclusions:

It is valid to use a pH level of 5.0 as indicative of laryngopharyngeal reflux in the hypopharynx.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2009

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Footnotes

Presented at the 85th Annual Meeting of the American Broncho-Esophagological Association, May 13–14 2005, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

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