Gastroesophageal reflux -- a common illness?

For a long time heartburn was not considered a symptom for serious illness. By now, however, it is accepted that the incidence of secondary carcinoma of the esophagus caused by chronic GERD has increased dramatically since the nineteen-seventies. Mechanisms leading to GERD are complex and its incidence is not necessarily pathological. However pathological reflux in the lower esophagus (pH lower than 4 in 6 % of 24 hours), caused by decreased sphinctertonus, impaired peristalsis and clearance of the esophagus, may lead to complications. Helicobacter pylori may play a key role in GERD. There is strong evidence for a protective effect of Hp-infection in the development of GERD. In pangastritis, caused by Hp-infection, gastric acid production is inhibited resulting in a reduction of stomach-acid-concentration. This may be caused by either the chronic infection itself and the resulting atrophy of the stomach-mucosa, by the ammonia-producing HP-bacteria, or an increase in acid re-absorbtion of gastric epithelium. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) often results in atypical manifestations with oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and pulmonary disorders. Laryngopharyngeal reflux is known to contribute to posterior acid laryngitis and laryngeal contact ulceration or granuloma formation, laryngeal cancer, chronic hoarseness, pharyngitis, asthma, pneumonia, nocturnal choking, and dental diseases. Today, PPI are the medication of choice in both acute and long-term (prophylactic) therapy of GERD. The so called "step-up-strategy" of medication is no longer recommended. Here, patients were first treated with antacids, then prokinetics followed by H2-blockers and finally low-dose PPI. Only in the case of persisting symptoms medication was further increased to high-dose PPI therapy. In the past this increase in medication lead to a prolonged healing process and consequently to higher medication costs. Studies have shown that a "step-down"-therapy, beginning with high dose PPI, is highly preferable, since it is much more effective. Depending on the degree of the symptoms, however, medication may also be applied "on-demand". The BfArM has approved this kind of medication application only for Esomeprazol (Nexium mups 20 mg).     

Presumed laryngo-pharyngeal reflux: investigate or treat?

A review of a combined gastroenterology and laryngology clinic was conducted to determine the effectiveness of treatment and the predictive value of clinical findings and investigations. Data were collected prospectively. Investigations were performed according to clinical criteria. Patients with symptoms suspected to be due to laryngopharyngeal reflux (based on a positive oesophageal pH test and/or changes on videolaryngoscopy consistent with posterior laryngitis) were treated with omeprazole for at least two to three months. There were 87 patients; the most common symptoms were cough (38 per cent) and hoarseness (36 per cent); 77 per cent had some symptoms suggestive of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Sixty-seven patients were given omeprazole. A good response to laryngo-pharyngeal symptoms was seen in 37 patients (55 per cent). The presence of reflux symptoms was not a predictor of a good response. Increasing severity of oesophageal acid exposure over the 24 hours of pH testing was associated with a better symptom response (Spearman rank correlation, p = 0.01). Posterior laryngitis was not associated with the response to treatment, although there was a trend towards an association between improvement in laryngitis (after treatment) and improvement in symptoms (p = 0.08). The response to proton pump inhibitors was lower than other published results. Oesophageal pH monitoring may have a role in predicting which patients will respond to proton pump inhibitors. This study does not support the decision to treat with anti-secretory therapy, based only on the presence of posterior laryngitis.     

Is laryngopharyngeal reflux related to functional dysphonia?

OBJECTIVES: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) may be a contributing factor in chronic hoarseness. The association of LPR with functional dysphonia (FD), the most common voice clinic diagnosis, is unknown. We attempted to determine whether patients with FD have a higher rate of laryngeal exposure to acidic stomach contents than do healthy volunteers. METHODS: We recruited through the voice clinic 23 patients who had had persistent dysphonia for 3 months. Pregnancy, major structural laryngeal abnormality, and vocal fold paralysis were exclusion criteria. Eight healthy volunteers were recruited. The subjects gave informed consent to enter the study, which had the approval of our hospital ethics committee. The patients and control subjects underwent 24-hour dual-probe pH-metry. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients and 6 control subjects completed the study. Overall, there seemed to be no statistical differences between patients and controls on all but 2 channel 1 pH-metry parameters. These were the longest reflux episode (seconds) in a supine position, and the fraction of time the pH was less than 4 in a supine position. Both of these time periods were longer in patients than in the controls (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated an association between LPR and FD for 2 pH parameters. Larger studies are required to assess the potential relationship between nonorganic dysphonias and reflux. Furthermore, the presence of a multifactorial causation of FD, including "medical" and psychological causes, should be addressed in future studies.     

“Gas” laryngopharyngeal reflux cause unexplained chronic cough

Hypopharyngeal multichannel intraluminal impedance (HMII) that can measure laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) events has supported the causal relationship between chronic cough (CC) and LPR containing liquid. However the role of “gas” LPR associated with CC has been poorly understood. We present two cases of patients with CC who had negative LPR containing liquid but had multiple episodes of “gas” LPR on HMII. The majority of “gas” LPR events had a minor pH drop at hypopharynx. Since any etiology of CC was excluded and medical therapy failed, both patients underwent laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS). Both of the patients had complete resolution of cough postoperatively. The present cases demonstrated successful outcome of LARS to treat the patients with CC who had documented “gas” LPR on HMII, thus suggesting the causal relationship between CC and “gas” LPR. The number of “gas” LPR events may need to be considered as an important diagnostic parameter.     

Laryngopharyngeal reflux: change in paradigm or diagnostic catchall?

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Is pseudosulcus alone a reliable sign of gastroesophago-pharyngeal reflux?

To investigate if laryngeal pseudosulcus (bilateral infraglottic oedema) is a reliable sign of pharyngeal reflux, the video recordings of 59 patients and 18 controls were examined off-line by two phoniatricians. Eleven video segments were duplicated for calculation of intrarater reliability. The frequency of pseudosulcus was correlated to the results of 24-h double-probe pH monitoring. The intrarater reliability was moderate (K = 0.582; P = 0.005). The sensitivity of pseudosulcus in the diagnosis of pharyngeal reflux among the patients was 30% and among the controls it was 0%. The positive predictive value (PPV) of pseudosulcus for patients with pharyngeal and laryngeal symptoms was 67%, while for the controls it was 0%. The negative predictive value (NPV) of pseudosulcus for patients with pharyngeal or laryngeal symptoms was 32% and for the controls it was 64%. The single finding of pseudosulcus is not a very sensitive predictor of pharyngeal reflux but if the patient has laryngeal symptoms and a pseudsulcus, the probability that the patient has pharyngeal reflux is almost 70%.     

Is reflux noted at diagnostic rigid oesophagoscopy clinically significant?

This study assessed the ability of otolaryngologists to diagnose and grade reflux disease at rigid endoscopy. Twenty-one out of 25 senior otolaryngologists who were questioned by means of a telephone survey said that if they find evidence of reflux disease at rigid endoscopy of the oesophagus and larynx, their practice is to place the patient on a proton pump inhibitor for six weeks without requesting pH and manometry studies, and without referral to a gastroenterologist. Over a two year period, 21 patients were diagnosed as having reflux disease at rigid endoscopy. This was based on the finding of fluid and erythema in the aerodigestive tract and upper oesophagus. Subsequent oesophageal pH and manometry was performed. Nine out of 21 patients were confirmed as refluxers. This demonstrated an accuracy of less than 50 per cent when using these findings to diagnose gastro-oesophageal reflux at rigid endoscopy.     

Gastroesophageal reflux and laryngeal cancer: causation or association? A critical review

Gastroesophageal reflux disease has been implicated as a causative factor in several laryngeal disorders. Its involvement in laryngeal cancer is of interest not only from a clinicopathologic aspect, but also from a public health perspective. However, despite a number of studies, a causal relationship with laryngeal cancer is uncertain. In this article, we address the current literature in a critical manner to facilitate the understanding of this subject and evaluate the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease and laryngeal carcinoma.     

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and chronic sinusitis:in search of an esophageal-nasal reflex

本文旨在探讨食管和鼻腔之间是否存在一种神经反射,该反射也许是胃食管反流(gastroesophageal reflux,GER)与慢性鼻及鼻窦炎(chronic rhinosinusitis,CRS)之间具有联系的病理机制之一。对10名无GER及鼻腔鼻窦疾病的健康志愿者用酸性溶液     

pH salivary analysis of subjects suffering from Sjögren's Syndrome and laryngopharyngeal reflux

Saliva is one of the components for the digestive homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) present a drop in salivary pH. Patients with Sjögren´s syndrome (SS) are a potential clinical research model for xerostomia and its laryngeal and pharyngeal consequences. The aim was to evaluate the characteristics of saliva of patients with SS and LPR.Methods19 patients with SS plus LPR, and 12 healthy controls had their saliva studied prospectively for volume and pH. Two salivary samples were obtained from each participant: whole unstimulated saliva(WUS) and whole stimulated saliva(WSS) while chewing parafilm M^®. All the participants were females.ResultsMean age was 60 years (study group) and 44 years (control). LPR was diagnosed on all 19 subjects. The mean pH of WUS was 7.53 (SS) and 7.57 (controls), raising to 7.87 and 7.83 respectively after stimulation. The mean salivary volume of patients with SS was 1.27 mL (WUS) and 3.78 mL (WSS), whereas controls had a significantly higher salivary volume both before and after stimuli.ConclusionA very high prevalence of LPR was found in patients with SS, which is probably caused by a uniform drop in salivary volume and all its contents, rather than a specific deficiency in its components, as shown previously in patients without SS.     

Study on the time-point distribution characteristics of the occurrence of laryngopharyngeal reflux北大核心CSCD

Objective To investigate the characteristics of the time-point distribution of the occurrence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) by 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring (24 h MII-pH) and to provide guidance for the development of individualized anti-reflux strategies for LPR patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 24 h MII-pH data from 408 patients [339 males and 69 females, aged 23-84 (55.08± 11.08) years] attending the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the Sixth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2013 to March 2020. The number of gas acid/weak-acid reflux, mixed gas-liquid acid/weak-acid reflux, liquid acid/weak-acid reflux and alkaline reflux events at different time points were recorded and statistically analyzed through SPSS 26.0 software. Results A total of 408 patients were included. Based on the 24 h MII-pH, the total positive rate of LPR was 77.45% (316/408). The type of positive gaseous weak-acid reflux was significantly higher than the remaining types of LPR (χ2=297.12, P<0.001). Except the gaseous weak-acid reflux, the occurrence of the remaining types of LPR showed a tendency to increase after meals, especially after dinner. Liquid acid reflux events occurred mainly between after dinner and the following morning, and 47.11% (57/121) of them occurred within 3 h after dinner. There was a significant positive association between Reflux Symptom Index scores and gaseous weak-acid reflux (r=0.127, P<0.01), liquid acid reflux(r=0.205, P<0.01) and liquid weak-acid reflux(r=0.103, P<0.05) events. Conclusions With the exception of gaseous weak-acid reflux events, the occurrence of the remaining types of LPR events has a tendency to increase after meals, especially after dinner. Gaseous weak-acid reflux events accounts for the largest proportion of all types of LPR events, but the pathogenic mechanisms of gaseous weak-acid reflux are needed to further investigate. ©2021 Japanese Society of Allergology.     

Salivary transforming growth factor alpha in patients with Sjögren's syndrome and reflux laryngitis

IntroductionSaliva plays a key role in the homeostasis of the digestive tract, through its inorganic components and its protein growth factors. Sjögren's syndrome patients have a higher prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and laryngopharyngeal reflux. Decreased salivary transforming growth factor alpha levels were observed in dyspeptic patients, but there have been no studies in patients with Sjögren's syndrome and laryngopharyngeal reflux.ObjectiveTo compare the salivary transforming growth factor alpha levels of patients with Sjögren's syndrome and laryngopharyngeal reflux to those of healthy controls.MethodsThis is a prospective controlled study. Twelve patients with Sjögren's syndrome and laryngopharyngeal reflux and 11 controls were prospectively evaluated. Spontaneous and stimulated saliva samples were obtained to establish salivary transforming growth factor alpha concentrations.ResultsThe salivary transforming growth factor alpha levels of patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls. Five patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux also had erosive esophagitis; their salivary transforming growth factor alpha levels were comparable to controls.ConclusionSalivary transforming growth factor alpha level was significantly higher in patients with Sjögren's syndrome and laryngopharyngeal reflux when compared to the control group.     

Recurrent acute otitis media and gastroesophageal reflux disease in children. Is there an association?

Objective

To investigate whether there is a relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) in infants and children. Possible risk factors are also explored.

Material and methods

221 consecutive children who had symptoms and signs associated with GERD and had undergone a prolonged ambulatory 24-h esophageal pH-monitoring. Thirty-four children were excluded from the study due to age, neurological deficits, congenital abnormalities, immunodeficiency syndromes or other chronic systemic disorders. The remaining 187 children (96 boys and 91 girls), aged between 40 days and 33 months (mean age of 18.3 months) were assigned into three groups according to their Reflux Index (RI%). Group A: 49 children (26.2%) without GERD (control group); Group B: 78 children (41.7%) with low to moderate RI; and Group C: 60 children (32.1%) with severe GERD. Parental interviews and personal medical files of the National Health System were used for data collection. However, episodes of acute otitis media were taken into account only if they were diagnosed by a physician. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 8 years in order to cover the peaks of otitis media incidence in childhood.

Results

The results revealed that 6 children from Group A (12.24%), 11 from Group B (14.1%) and 19 from Group C (31.67%) presented episodes of RAOM. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.01). Furthermore, in children who received anti-reflux treatment, the incidence of RAOM substantially decreased and eventually became approximate to that of the control Group A (12.32%). Logistic regression revealed that the strongest risk factor for recurrent otitis media was severe GERD (odds ratio, 4), then attendance at day-care centres (odds ratio, 3), followed by allergies (odds ratio, 2.7).

Conclusions

Severe GERD could be implicated in the multifactorial etiology of RAOM in infants and children.     

What is the evidence that gastroesophageal reflux is involved in the etiology of laryngeal cancer?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent literature on the possible mechanisms and role of gastroesophageal reflux in the etiology of laryngeal cancer, in patients with and without the accepted risk factors of smoking and alcohol consumption. RECENT FINDINGS: A recent systematic review was not conclusive. The issue remains a popular one for small-scale clinical surveys, when different inclusion criteria and a range of diagnostic tests are used. SUMMARY: After three decades of interest, there is still no unequivocal evidence for the role of reflux in the etiology of laryngeal cancer, whether in smokers or in nonsmokers.     

Do the laryngopharyngeal symptoms and signs ameliorate by empiric treatment in patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux?

Objectives

In clinical practice, antireflux medication is given almost always empirically without pH monitorization. We aimed to evaluate the improving effect of empiric antireflux treatment on layngopharyngeal symptoms and signs in patients with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) according to reflux symptom index (RSI) and reflux finding score (RFS).

Methods

GER was determined by esophagogastroduedonoscopy and biopsy in 127 patients. RSI and RFS were calculated for each patient. The patients with a pathology other than LFR which may be responsible from laryngopharyngeal symptoms and signs were excluded from the study. Fifty patients whom were thought to have LPR according to RSI and RFS comprised the study group. After 12-weeks of antireflux treatment, RSI and RFS were calculated again. The statistical analyses were made according to the changes in the severity and frequency of each symptom and sign.

Results

There was statistically significant improvement in RSI and RFS after treatment when compared with initial scores. There was statistically significant improvement in severity of all symptoms and signs. Although there was quantitively decrease in frequency of some signs and symptoms, complete resolution of the disease was not observed generally.

Conclusion

Empiric antireflux treatment according to RSI and RFS is an effective method. Antireflux treatment has a significant improving effect on laryngopharyngeal symptoms and signs. There may be needed longer times of treatment for complete resolution of symptoms and signs.