Gastroesophageal and Laryngopharyngeal RefluxSymptoms Correlate With Histopathologic Inflammationof the Upper and Lower Esophagus

摘要

Background: The presence of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease is controversial when abnormal sensation of the laryngopharynx is felt without heartburn.Goals: The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between abnormal sensation of the laryngopharynx and gastroesophageal reflux, and to elucidate the pathology of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease by investigating histopathologic findings of the upper and lower esophagus.Study: Upper and lower esophageal tissues were biopsied by endoscopy in 300 consenting patients, excluding those with serious diseases.Results: Fifty-seven patients (19.0%) reported reflux symptoms alone (reflux symptom group), 48 patients (16.0%) reported abnormal sensation of the laryngopharynx alone (abnormal laryngopharyngeal sensation group), and 74 patients (24.7%) reported both reflux symptoms and abnormal sensation of the laryngopharynx (complication group), whereas 121 patients (40.3%) did not report subjective reflux symptoms and abnormal sensation of the laryngopharynx (control group). Histopathologic inflammation of the upper esophagus was significantly greater in the complication and abnormal laryngopharyngeal sensation groups compared with the control group. Histologic inflammation of the lower esophagus was significantly higher in the complication and reflux symptom groups compared with the control group.Conclusions: The histopathologic findings of the upper and lower esophagus elucidated an association between gastroesophageal reflux and abnormal sensation of the laryngopharynx.