title: Endoscopic evidence of reflux disease in the larynx.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of laryngeal mucosal lesions in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is significantly greater than in controls. A higher degree of laryngeal mucosal injury is documented in patients in whom GERD is associated with more advanced esophageal lesions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  (1) To confirm the presence of inflammatory lesions in the laryngopharynx of patients with GERD. (2) To analyze the relationship between the severity of laryngopharyngeal and esophageal lesions on the basis of the reflux finding score (RFS) and the Los Angeles (LA) scale of esophageal mucosal injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 92 subjects, among them 46 patients with GERD and 46 individuals without endoscopic evidence of esophageal lesions, qualified for routine endoscopy due to other indications. The endoscopic images of the inferior pharynx, larynx, and esophagus were analyzed during the video-endoscopic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The laryngeal images were assessed according to RFS criteria and the numeric value of RFS was calculated. The degree of esophageal mucosal injury was described according to the LA scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both global RFS score and the scores of all RFS parameters except the presence of granulomatous tissue were significantly higher in patients with GERD than in the controls. Patients in whom GERD was associated with more severe esophageal lesions (group B according to the LA scale) had significantly higher global RFS score and scores of all analyzed parameters of laryngeal injury except subglottic edema than individuals in whom the degree of esophageal involvement was classified as group A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Diseases with a Gastroenterological Profile, Municipal Hospital , Tychy.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krawczyk
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Scierski
authors.forename: Ireneusz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ryszkiel
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Namysłowski
authors.forename: Stanisław
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grzegorzek
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Misiołek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007830:Larynx / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Gastroesophageal reflux; Los Angeles scale; RFS; endoscopy; laryngopharyngeal reflux