Videostroboscopy in Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disorder

Introduction: Acid reflux disease of the larynx has been established as a separate clinical entity in the present day, requiring the nuances of a skilled laryngologist for its early diagnosis and appropriate management. Clinical presentations of laryngopharyngeal reflux disorder may vary from very subtle to mammoth proportions, ranging across a panorama of features like chronic laryngitis, indolent laryngeal ulcers or granulomas, onto life-threatening glottic/sub-glottic stenosis and laryngeal malignancies very rarely. With the advent of videostroboscopy, laryngologists have now acquired a ‘cutting-edge’ sensitive tool to look into the intricacies of the larynx and thereby study the pathological effects of laryngopharyngeal reflux in great detail. Objective: To assess the efficacy of videostroboscopy with voice analysis, as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in a cohort of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux disorder. Study method: This prospective study was conducted over a two-year period, among 50 patients with hoarseness of voice and features of reflux laryngitis, who underwent videostroboscopy with voice analysis at initial diagnosis and at routine follow-up, to objectively study the response and outcome of anti-reflux therapy on the larynx. Observation and result: Videostroboscopy provided a vivid picture of the changes in larynx due to chronic acid reflux and proved efficacious in precisely judging the treatment responses. Conclusion: Our study reflects the recent concept highlighted in world literature that videostroboscopy is an ideal, sensitive tool for early diagnosis and in prognosis of acid induced laryngeal disorder.