Possibilities of 24-hour pH-metry of Upper Esophagus in the Diagnostics of Esophageal-Pharyngeal Reflux

Overview

Objective:
to employ 24-hour pH-metry for the determination of correlation of esophageal-pharyngeal reflux with endoscopic findings in a group of patients with laryngitis.

Methods:
esophagoscopy and 24-hour dual ph-metry were performed. In order to demonstrate the reflux in upper esophagus the authors used the component of DeMeester score emplo ed for lower esophagus – fraction time FT 0.25% (> 3.6min/24 h), when pH in the lower esophagus decreases below 4. The obtained values were correlated with the pH-metry findings in distal esophagus and with the degree of esophagitis.

Results:
58 patients with laryngitis were suspected to suffer from reflux. In 41% of them the reflux was not proved, 31% suffered from reflux in the lower esophagus and 28% in both floors. FT 0.25% in the upper esophagus demonstrated a weak correlation with the findings of reflux in lower esophagus. The values of FT of 0.25% displayed significantly higher values in patients with demonstrated reflux in the lower esophagus (P < 0.0001) and higher values in patients with esophagitis of IInd degree as compared with those without esophagitis (P = 0.001).

Conclusion:
a direct proof of reflux is provided by dual pH-metry. Negative finding excludes gastroesophagopharyngeal reflux. Reflux esophagitis increases the probability of the reflux to reach pharynx or larynx. FT of 0.25% proved to be a suitable parameter for the evaluation of pH-metry in the upper esophagus.

Key words:
gastroesophagopharyngeal reflux, reflux laryngitis, pH-metry.