title: Voice problems among laryngopharyngeal reflux patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal pH monitoring.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a lack of consensus regarding the clinical presentation and diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). The aim of this study was to explore voice-related abnormalities in a group of LPR patients, diagnosed with a 24-hour oropharyngeal pH monitoring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two patients with voice-related problems participated in the study. Diagnosis of LPR was made using a 24-hour oropharyngeal pH monitoring. Patients were divided accordingly into positive and negative pH groups. Comparisons between the two groups were done, including results of clinical presentation, Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), reflux symptom index (RSI), reflux finding score (RFS), and acoustic measurements. The correlation was conducted between Ryan scores and other variables including VHI-10, RSI, and RFS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found between the two groups for RSI and VHI-10. No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding clinical presentation, RFS or acoustic measures. Significant positive correlations were found between the Ryan composite measurements and both severity ratings (VHI-10, RSI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LPR clinical presentation appears to be non-specific in terms of symptoms and laryngeal findings. LPR appears to have an effect on the patients' self-perception of voice problems. Further studies are needed to clarify the effect of LPR on acoustic measurements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Tamer A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mesallam
authors.forename: Khalid H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Malki
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farahat
authors.forename: Manal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bukhari
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alharethy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D050782:Esophageal pH Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057045:Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D049489:Stroboscopy; D014741:Video Recording; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D014833:Voice Quality