Patients with throat symptoms on Acid suppressive therapy: do they have reflux?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to characterize the reflux events in patients with laryngeal symptoms unresponsive to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy.


BACKGROUND
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is commonly implicated as the cause of laryngeal symptoms.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the pH/impedance records of 21 patients evaluated for persistent throat symptoms despite PPI therapy. They were compared to 30 others with typical reflux symptoms despite medication.


RESULTS
Five of 21 (24%) patients in the "throat group" had normal reflux values, 13 (62%) continued to have abnormal acid reflux, and three (14%) had abnormal nonacid reflux but normal acid reflux while on medication. These results did not differ from those with typical symptoms unresponsive to medication.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with chronic laryngeal symptoms despite PPI therapy, a substantial minority have no reflux at all, but the majority have abnormal amounts of acid reflux despite their taking PPI medication.
Khan
Abraham
A
Department of Medicine, Center for Esophageal Disease, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Cho
Ilseung
I
Traube
Morris
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors