Сapabilitу of 24-hour esophageal pH-impedance monitoring in the diagnosis of GERD-associated laryngeal diseases

Abstract

Extraesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), despite the improvement of methods of diagnosis and treatment of patients with this pathology, still remain an urgent problem of medicine and cause increased attention of clinicians and researchers. In some cases, patients with GERD do not present typical complaints of heartburn, regurgitation; the disease may manifest extraesophageal manifestations, such as chronic cough, hoarseness, reflux laryngitis, and others caused by the presence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LFR) – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the upper digestive and respiratory tracts with possible morphological changes associated with direct and indirect (reflex) exposure to gastroduodenal reflux. The occurrence of LFR is possible due to a violation of the motor function of the esophagus and insufficiency of the upper esophageal sphincter, as well as a decrease in the tone of the pharyngeal muscles. The most accessible methods of diagnosis of LFR are registration of complaints according to the questionnaire “index of reflux symptoms”, assessment of the clinical and functional state of the larynx using a visually analog “scale of reflux signs”. A positive response to the empirical use of proton pump inhibitors in combination with procinetics and determination of pepsin content in saliva can also be alternative diagnostic methods. To date, 24-hour pH-impedance monitoring is a method that allows the most accurate diagnosis of all types of reflux, regardless of the pH value, to verify high reflux in combination with its physical properties, as well as to estimate the time of chemical and volumetric esophageal clearance. In addition to performing esophagogastroduodenoscopy, the use of this method is indicated in patients with suspected extraesophageal manifestations of GERD. The article presents clinical examples of patients with extraesophageal manifestations of GERD, describes the possibilities of 24-hour pH-impedance monitoring of the esophagus in the diagnosis of LFR and reflux-associated diseases of the larynx.

Keywords

• gastroesophageal reflux disease
• laryngopharyngeal reflux
• 24-hour intra-esophageal ph-impedance monitoring
• benign laryngeal diseases
• precancerous laryngeal diseases