title: Prevalence of reflux in 113 consecutive patients with laryngeal and voice disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal was to estimate the prevalence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in patients with laryngeal and voice disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study of 113 unselected, new patients with laryngeal and voice disorders. Patients completed an extensive medical history form including a reflux symptom profile. A comprehensive otolaryngologic examination was performed with photographic transnasal fiberoptic laryngoscopy. Patients with both symptoms and findings of LPR (78/133, 69%) underwent ambulatory 24-hour double-probe pH monitoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three percent (57/78) of patients undergoing pH testing had abnormal studies. Thus 50% (57/113) of the entire the study population had pH-documented reflux. Of the diagnostic sub-groups studied, the highest incidence of reflux was found in patients with vocal cord neoplastic lesions (88%) and patients with muscle tension dysphonias (70%). LPR was infrequently found in patients with neuromuscular disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LPR occurs in at least 50% of all patients at our center with laryngeal and voice disorders at presentation.
authors.affiliation: Center for Voice Disorders, Department of Otolaryngology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1034, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Koufman
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*