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Reflux esophagitys and reflux laryngitis: Different stages of the same disease?

Introduction: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GRD) is an entity due to anatomical or functional failure of contention mechanisms of gastric content. Otolaryngology manifestations of GRD are oropharynx globus, dysphonia, oropharyngeal pirosis, dysfagia, chronic cough. The research intends to evaluate the otolaryngology symptoms of reflux in patients with surgical indication of hiatal hernia and compare the patients’ complaints. Study design: prospective clinical randomized. Material and method: The patients were divided in two groups. Group A, with 18 patients admitted in the General Surgery Service with surgical treatment indication for esophagitys, degrees III and IV and group B, with 40 patients of the Otolaryngology Service with reflux laryngitis complaints. Patients were submitted to a protocol, videolaryngoscopy and upper endoscopy (UE). Obtained data were tabulated and compared to the literature. Results: Symptoms referred by the patients of group B were the same of the group A, but dysphonia, cough, oropharynx pirosis were more prevalent in group B. The laryngoscopic evaluation of group B has shown more altered findings than group A. Altered UE were more prevalent in patients of the group A. Considering the results it is possible to verify that the degree of esophageal disease has no correlation with laryngeal disease. Conclusion: The comparison among the two groups allowed concluding that, despite the similarity of the clinical picture and fisiopatology, the gastroesophageal reflux and the laryngeal reflux must not be considered different stages of the same disease.

gastroesophageal reflux disease; oropharynx globus; retro-esternal; dysfagia; oropharyngeal; pirosis; cough


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