title: The natural history of globus pharyngeus.
abstract: While globus pharyngeus is a common disorder, accounting for 3% to 4% of new otolaryngology outpatient referrals, few long-term follow-up studies have been conducted on patients with this condition. The authors of this study followed 74 patients with a diagnosis of globus pharyngeus for an average of 7 years, 7 months (range: 7 years to 8 years, 10 months). During the follow-up period, 55% of patients were asymptomatic and 45% of patients had persistent symptoms. An in-depth analysis of features at clinical presentation failed to reveal any reliable prognostic indicators. A number of patients developed other conditions during the follow-up period, but no patient developed upper aerodigestive tract malignancy. This study represents the longest follow-up of globus patients to date and, to the authors' knowledge, is the first to address the issue of malignancy in globus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: O'Dwyer
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Timon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors