The assessment of children with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux: An Otorhinolaringological perspective.
The assessment of pediatric laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is controversial. Otorhinolaryngologists may play a role in the evaluation of children with suspected LPR detecting typical airway endoscopic findings and/or associated diseases and may help in the selection of children to be subjected to further instrumental tests. In this perspective the present review aims at examining the available evidence in the literature regarding the assessment of LPR in children. After careful literature search there are no current validated symptoms assessment questionnaires for LPR evaluation in children; flexible fiberoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy remains controversial as a diagnostic tool in suspect LPR cases; even though the multichannel intraluminal impedance with pH monitoring has been proposed as the instrumental gold standard, further evidence need to be found for validation in children with typical features of LPR.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy. Electronic address: francescagalluzzi@yahoo.it.
Francesca
F
Galluzzi
Phoniatric Unit, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco," University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Antonio
A
Schindler
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy; Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
Renato Maria
RM
Gaini
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy; Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
Werner
W
Garavello
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D057045:Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D010036:Otolaryngology
Assessment; Children; Laryngopharyngeal reflux; Otorhinolaryngologists