Abstract
The presence of subjective otolaryngological symptoms and laryngopharyngeal findings were studied in 24 patients with untreated reflux esophagitis which had been previously diagnosed by physicians. Just half of the 24 patients, 12, had subjective otolaryngological symptoms. The most common symptom was a globus sensation in 7 patients (29.2%), followed by sore throat in 5 (20.8%) and a chronic cough in 1 (4.2%). As regards laryngopharyngeal findings, intra-arytenoid hypertrophy was noted in 20 patients (83.3%), erythema of the posterior larynx in 16 (66.7%), and pooling of saliva in the piriform sinus in 6 (25.0%). A group of 50 patients, who had previously undergone a medical check up, served as controls. Laryngopharyngeal symptoms peculiar to the controls included intra-arytenoid hypertrophy in 18 patients (36.0%), erythema of the posterior larynx in 21 (42.0%), and pooling of saliva in the priform sinus in 8 (16.0%). There was thus a significant difference between the reflux esophagitis group and the control group as regards the incidence of intra-arytenoid hypertrophy and erythema of the posterior larynx. The present data of this study indicates that patients with reflux esophagitis may also have subjective otolaryngological symptoms and laryngopharyngeal findings.
