English

Abstract

BACKGROUND Globus Pharyngeus, previously known as Globus hystericus, is a persistent or intermittent non-painful sensation of a lump or foreign body in the throat of indeterminate origin. It is a commonly encountered clinical condition seen in ear, nose and throat Outpatient Department (ENT OPD). It is usually long-lasting, difficult to treat and has a tendency to recur. It is a common disorder and constitutes about 4 - 5 % of all new ENT referrals with a slight female preponderance. Sikkim is second smallest state in India with a total population of 6.1 lakhs. It is a mountainous region with subtropical climate. Central Referral Hospital is the only Medical College in the state and takes care of the patients from all over the state. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of globus pharyngeus among patients attending ENT OPD. METHODS This was a descriptive cross-sectional study done in the ENT Outpatient Department (OPD) of Central Referral Hospital, Gangtok, Sikkim among patients attending directly or referred from the government health sectors with complaints of globus symptoms in the throat. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel 16.4 version and used for statistical purposes. RESULTS The total burden of the disease was found to be 0.6 % with 73.77 % of the patients with globus positive for H. pylori infection and 36 % of them positive for laryngopharyngeal reflex (LPR). CONCLUSIONS The number of globus cases found in this study (0.6 %) was comparatively less as compared to various studies done globally (4 - 5 %). The low number of cases determined in this study may be due to the bias of selection of the study population from the only available private tertiary care centre in the state. KEYWORDS Globus Pharyngeus, Foreign Body Throat