Clinical Trial: Study of an Oropharyngeal Aerosolized pH Probe for Diagnosing Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR)

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Diagnosis and Response to Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Using an Oropharyngeal Aerosolized pH Probe

Brief Summary: This study is a test of how well a new FDA-approved device is for diagnosing a condition known as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). The device, which measures pH of the air in the upper throat, will be compared to several other methods for diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Detailed Summary:

It is estimated that up to 50% of patients with voice disorders and 4-10% of patients seen in otolaryngology practice experience laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). LPR has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous laryngeal disorders, including subglottic stenosis, laryngeal carcinoma, laryngeal contact ulcers, laryngospasm, and vocal cord nodules. In the pediatric population, it has been associated with asthma, sinusitis, and otitis media. Common symptoms include chronic and intermittent hoarseness, vocal fatigue, globus pharyngeus, cough, postnasal drip, chronic throat clearing, and dysphagia.

Like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the etiology of LPR is linked to esophageal sphincter dysfunction. In GERD, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is involved, whereas in LPR, the pathology results from upper esophageal sphincter (UES) dysfunction. However, diagnosis of LPR is more challenging than that of GERD. The classic reflux-like symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation are often absent in LPR.

The most widely used diagnostic modality for LPR is symptomatic response to treatment, including twice daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or H2 blocker therapy for several months. However, the use of a therapeutic modality to make a diagnosis clearly carries disadvantages, including potentially unnecessary exposure to a drug's side effect profile and lengthy time to diagnosis. Another diagnostic instrument is the reflux symptom index (RSI), a validated nine-item questionnaire assessing LPR symptoms. However, LPR symptoms are fairly nonspecific, also appearing in autoimmune and behavior disorders. Lastly, a 24-hour triple-pH probe may be the best objective test diagnosing LPR. However, this method is poorly tolerated by patients and difficulty with ease of administration limits its routine use. To date, we have remained in s
Sponsor: Emory University

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Information By: Emory University

Dates:
Date Received: May 2, 2006
Date Started: May 2006
Date Completion:
Last Updated: December 6, 2013
Last Verified: December 2013