A Characterization Study of the Patients Visiting Hospital due to Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Suspicion: A Prospective Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to explore the characteristics of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and the association between LPR and allergic rhinitis (AR).

Methods: In this prospective case-control study, a total of 102 patients with suspected LPR who visited the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Heping Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, between June 2019 and June 2021 were consecutively included. They were divided into the LPR-positive group and the LPR-negative group according to 24-h Dx-pH monitoring. The influencing factors of LPR, including the scores for AR (SFAR) and AR prevalence, were compared between the two groups.

Results: The total SFAR and scores in items 1, 3, 4, and 5 of the LPR-positive group were significantly higher than those of the LPR-negative group (p < 0.05). The prevalence of AR in the LPR-positive group was 60%, which was significantly higher than that in the LPR-negative group (36.54%) (p < 0.05). After excluding confounding factors, AR was positively correlated with the incidence of LPR, and the incidence of LPR with AR was 2.372 times that of non-AR. Receiver operating characteristic curve results show that AR has the highest predictive value for LPR, and the area of AR under the curve is was 0.617.

Conclusions: The SFAR and incidence of AR are high in patients with positive LPR, and AR may be a risk factor for LPR. The results of this study may deepen our understanding of the occurrence of LPR.

Keywords: Allergic rhinitis; Clinical correlation; Dx-pH monitoring; Laryngopharyngeal reflux; Score for allergic rhinitis.