The Accuracy of the Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Diagnosis: Utility of the Stroboscopic Exam

Mark A. Fritz, Michael J. Persky, Yixin Fang, C. Blake Simpson, Milan R. Amin, Lee M. Akst, Gregory N. Postma

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective To determine the prevalence and also accuracy of the laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) referring diagnosis and to determine the most useful clinical tool in arriving at the final diagnosis in a tertiary laryngology practice. Study Design Case series with planned data collection. Setting Six tertiary academic laryngology practices. Subjects and Methods We collected referring diagnosis and demographic information, including age, sex, ethnicity, referring physician, and whether or not patients had prior flexible laryngoscopy for 1077 patients presenting with laryngologic complaints from January 2010 and June 2013. Final diagnosis after the referred laryngologist's examination and the key diagnostic test used was then recorded. Results Of 1077 patients, 132 had a singular referring diagnosis of LPR. Only 47 of 132 patients (35.6%) had LPR confirmed on final primary diagnosis. Transnasal flexible laryngoscopy confirmed this in 27 of 47 (57.4%) patients. Eighty-five of 132 (64.4%) had a different final diagnosis than LPR. Sixty-five of 85 (76.5%) of these alternative pathologies were diagnosed with the aid of laryngeal stroboscopy. Conclusions LPR appears to be an overused diagnosis for laryngologic complaints. For patients who have already had transnasal flexible laryngoscopic exams prior to their referral, laryngeal stroboscopy is the key diagnostic tool in arriving at the correct diagnosis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)629-634
Number of pages6
JournalOtolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
Volume155
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Surgery
  • Otorhinolaryngology

Keywords

  • flexible laryngoscopy
  • laryngopharyngeal reflux
  • reflux
  • stroboscopy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Accuracy of the Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Diagnosis: Utility of the Stroboscopic Exam'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this