Chronic dysphonia secondary to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Diagnosis using simultaneous dual-probe prolonged pH monitoring

The association of chronic dysphonia with gastroesophageal reflux has been reported in the otalaryngologic literature; unfortunately, these reports are primarily anecdotal. Because of the difficulty in documenting reflux, patients are often left without a definitive diagnosis or therapy. The purpose of this paper is to report on an objective method of documenting gastroesophageal reflux disease by using ambulatory esophageal and hypopharyngeal pH monitoring. 70% of the subjects who underwent simultaneous dual-probe pH monitoring evidenced reflux in the hypopharynx in both an upright and supine position. All of the subjects had erythema of the arytenoid cartilages on indirect examination; so this appears to be of clinical diagnostic significance.