Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) –Review article-

Abstract

Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) is caused by the back-flow of stomach contents and/or gastric acid into the laryngopharynx. Symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) include hoarseness, sore throat, throat-clearing, chronic cough, globus sensation, dysphagia, and postnasal drip. LPRD is diagnosed in approximately 10% of patients presenting to outpatient otolaryngology clinics and in more than 50% of patients presenting with voice complaints. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and LPRD may be associated with periodontitis, sleep disorders, and otolaryngology disease.Gastric acid reflux with LPRD is thought to cause laryngeal granulomas.The most useful endolaryngeal signs for diagnosing LPRD are erythema, edema, and interarytenoid hypertrophy. Ambulatory 24-h dual-probe pH monitoring can be misleading; false-positive outcomes may occur due to artifacts in the upper probe, and false-negative outcomes can occur as a result of the intermittent character of reflux episodes. In patients with LPRD, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been shown to significantly improve reflux laryngitis. However, some patients are resistant to antacid therapy. Nocturnal acid breakthrough (NAB) on PPI has been suggested as one reason for resistance to PPI therapy. Administration of a PPI with the additional bedtime administration of a histamine-2 receptor antagonist has been shown to be an effective treatment of LPRD with NAB. Recently, potassium-competitive acid blockers have been proposed as an effective treatment of antacid-resistant disease.