Accuracy of Laryngeal Examination during Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy for Premalignancy Screening: Prospective Study in Patients with and without Reflux Symptoms

Background and Study Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease may be associated with laryngeal damage caused by reflux material. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of laryngeal examinations during routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy as a method of screening for major laryngeal injury in a series of patients with reflux symptoms.
Patients and Methods: A total of 100 consecutive patients with reflux symptoms and 100 control individuals underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with standard or high-resolution magnifying video endoscopes. Any laryngeal abnormalities were initially identified by the gastroenterologist before the scope was inserted into the esophagus. All of the examinations were recorded on video and subsequently reevaluated by an otorhinolaryngologist. All of the patients underwent standard laryngoscopy as a reference procedure.Results: All of the patients completed the study. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of the preliminary laryngeal exploration for detecting laryngeal abnormalities (such as laryngitis and vocal leukoplakia) were 90 %, 90 %, 92 %, and 89 %, respectively. High-resolution magnifying endoscopy had a higher sensitivity and specificity than standard endoscopy for detecting laryngeal pathology. Two patients were found to have laryngeal leukoplakia.
Conclusions: This study shows that preliminary diagnosis of laryngeal disorders can be accurately carried out by the gastroenterologist when patients are undergoing upper endoscopy for reflux symptoms. This approach could also be helpful for the timely diagnosis of major reflux-related laryngeal disease.

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