Chronic cough caused by gastroesophageal reflux]

We reported a case of chronic cough due to gastroesophageal reflux (GER). The patient was a 29-year-old woman who had suffered from persistent chronic cough for more than 3 years. She had been treated with high doses of inhaled steroids, oral bronchodilators, and oral corticosteroids on a presumed diagnosis of asthma. However, her cough was not alleviated by these treatments, and the patient was referred to our hospital. She did not exhibit typical GER symptoms except for belch. Although esophagoscopy did not disclose reflux esophagitis, esophageal pH monitoring revealed acid reflux 7 to 8 times higher than the reference value. The patient was treated with a proton-pump inhibitor, which markedly alleviated her cough. Chronic cough due to GER was diagnosed. Although the incidence of chronic cough due to GER was thought to be rare in Japan, the findings in our case report underscored the importance of this association to the differential diagnosis of chronic cough.