Evaluation of upper abdominal symptoms using the Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate upper abdominal symptoms in laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) patients and changes in both upper abdominal and LPR symptoms before and after acid-suppression therapy. In 100 patients with LPR symptoms, upper abdominal and LPR symptoms were evaluated by using the Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (FSSG) and the LPR symptom scoring system, respectively. In the 52 assessable patients, changes in these symptoms before and after acid-suppression therapy were evaluated. Upper abdominal symptoms were reported by 96/100 LPR patients: 89 responded positively to at least one of the questions about acid reflux-related symptoms and 89 to at least one of those about dysmotility-like symptoms. There was poor correlation between positive rates to FSSG upper abdominal symptom questions and the frequency of reported laryngopharyngeal symptoms. There were significant reductions in the frequency of acid reflux-related symptoms, dysmotility-like symptoms, and laryngopharyngeal symptoms after acidsuppression therapy. The LPR symptom score decreased to less than half the pretreatment score in 25 subjects (therapeutic response group). The pretreatment frequency of dysmotility-like symptoms seemed to be higher in the nonresponse group than in the response group, although the difference was not significant. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the pretreatment frequency of acid reflux-related symptoms. The majority of these Japanese LPR patients experienced some form of upper abdominal symptoms. The frequency of dysmotility-like symptoms was similar to that of acid reflux-related symptoms. The pretreatment frequency of dysmotility-like symptoms, but not of acid reflux-related symptoms, might be a predictor of patient response to acid-suppression therapy.