Association between Laryngopharyngeal Reflux and Vocal Fold Leukoplakia

ORL ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-166
Author(s):  
Guowei Lu ◽  
Xiu Ding ◽  
Wen Xu

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Vocal fold leukoplakia (VFL) has a risk of malignant transformation, and the underlying mechanisms are currently unrecognized. Some clinical evidence has indicated that laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) probably plays a critical role. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To explore the risk factors associated with the occurrence of VFL and to investigate the importance of LPR in VFL and its different pathological types using 24-h multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> Eighty-one patients with VFL and 27 healthy volunteers were recruited. General information and LPR parameters were analyzed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The monitoring showed that 35.8% (29/81) of patients had acidic LPR and that 43.2% (35/81) had weakly acidic LPR. Heavy drinking (odds ratio = 4.004, <i>p</i> = 0.037) and acidic LPR (odds ratio = 4.471, <i>p</i> = 0.029) were independent risk factors for the occurrence of VFL. Acidic LPR showed a strong correlation with the Reflux Finding Score (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05) in patients suspected of having LPR based on the scale score. Meanwhile, weakly acidic LPR parameters increased with the severity of pathological degrees which were higher in high-grade dysplasia (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our study confirms the importance of LPR in VFL. Heavy drinking patients with VFL, particularly those with acidic LPR, should undergo intensive treatment. Meanwhile, weakly acidic LPR may play a critical role in the pathological changes in VFL.

2017 ◽  
Vol 132 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
X-G Ni ◽  
Q-Q Zhang ◽  
J-Q Zhu ◽  
G-Q Wang

AbstractObjectives:To explore the risk factors associated with the occurrence of synchronous oesophageal cancer in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer, and to investigate the roles of image-enhanced endoscopic screening in the prediction and diagnosis of early oesophageal cancer.Methods:The clinical characteristics of patients with hypopharyngeal cancer (n = 160) were analysed. All patients underwent laryngoscopic and gastroscopic examination using image-enhanced endoscopic techniques before treatment.Results:Of 160 hypopharyngeal cancer patients, 43 (27 per cent) had synchronous oesophageal cancer. Heavy drinking (odds ratio = 4.787, p = 0.029) and local invasion of three or more anatomical sites (odds ratio = 14.391, p = 0.000) were independent risk factors for synchronous oesophageal cancer. Narrow-band imaging laryngoscopy could detect more invaded anatomical sites than ordinary white light endoscopy (t = 8.532, p = 0.000). More early oesophageal cancer cases were detected with Lugol chromoendoscopy than with non-Lugol iodine staining examination (χ2 = 4.925, p = 0.026).Conclusion:Synchronous oesophageal cancer is common in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. The heavy drinking patients with hypopharyngeal cancer should undergo intensive monitoring. Image-enhanced endoscopic screening is helpful in the prediction and early detection of second primary oesophageal cancer.


2016 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Wang ◽  
Jia-Jie Tan ◽  
Ting Wu ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Jia-Nuan Wu ◽  
...  

Objective To determine whether pepsin, the main component of refluxed gastric contents, is significantly associated with vocal fold polyps and to evaluate the diagnostic value of pepsin in vocal fold polyps’ tissues. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University. Subjects and Methods The study included 32 patients with vocal fold polyps and 16 healthy controls between 2011 and 2012. Reflux symptom index and reflux finding score assessments, 24-hour combined multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring, and biopsy of the vocal fold polyp tissues or posterior laryngeal mucosa (healthy controls) for immunohistochemical pepsin staining were performed. Results The expression of pepsin was significantly higher in patients with vocal fold polyps than in controls (28/32, 75% vs 5/16, 31.25%; P < .001). The pepsin levels were significantly positively correlated with upright position pharyngeal acid reflux and esophageal reflux parameters adjusted by age. Based on pepsin staining data, the sensitivity and negative predictive values of 24-hour pH monitoring, the reflux symptom index, and the reflux finding score were 70% to 84.62%, whereas their specificity and positive predictive values were relatively low (20%-31.58%). Conclusion Pepsin reflux may be a risk factor for vocal fold polyps formation. In addition, pepsin immunohistochemical analysis of polyp biopsy samples appears to be a more sensitive and effective test for diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux than the reflux symptom index, the reflux finding score, and 24-hour pH monitoring in a clinical setting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Gong ◽  
Xiao-Yun Wang ◽  
Li Yang ◽  
Ming-Jun Sun ◽  
Jun Du ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 126 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C. Belafsky ◽  
Gregory N. Postma ◽  
James A. Koufman

BACKGROUND: A pattern of edema on the ventral surface of the vocal fold, called pseudosulcus vocalis, was described in 1995. It refers to infraglottic edema extending from the anterior commissure to the posterior larynx. It can be differentiated from sulcus vergeture, which is caused by adhesion of the vocal fold epithelium to the vocal ligament. Although it has been related to laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), this has not been thoroughly investigated. PURPOSE: Our goal was to evaluate the association between pseudosulcus and LPR. METHODS: Thirty patients with a clinical diagnosis of LPR confirmed by double-probe pH monitoring and 30 controls without LPR were enrolled. The prevalence of pseudosulcus was determined with fiberoptic laryngoscopy. RESULTS: Seventy percent (21 of 30) of patients with LPR and 30% (9 of 30) of controls had pseudosulcus. Patients with pseudosulcus were 2.3 times more likely to have pH-documented LPR (95% confidence interval 1.3–4.2). The sensitivity and specificity of pseudosulcus in the diagnosis of LPR are 70% and 77%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudosulcus is highly correlated with pH-documented LPR ( P < 0.001). The presence of pseudosulcus is suggestive of LPR.


2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (22) ◽  
pp. 2283-2299
Author(s):  
Apabrita Ayan Das ◽  
Devasmita Chakravarty ◽  
Debmalya Bhunia ◽  
Surajit Ghosh ◽  
Prakash C. Mandal ◽  
...  

Abstract The role of inflammation in all phases of atherosclerotic process is well established and soluble TREM-like transcript 1 (sTLT1) is reported to be associated with chronic inflammation. Yet, no information is available about the involvement of sTLT1 in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Present study was undertaken to determine the pathophysiological significance of sTLT1 in atherosclerosis by employing an observational study on human subjects (n=117) followed by experiments in human macrophages and atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E (apoE)−/− mice. Plasma level of sTLT1 was found to be significantly (P<0.05) higher in clinical (2342 ± 184 pg/ml) and subclinical cases (1773 ± 118 pg/ml) than healthy controls (461 ± 57 pg/ml). Moreover, statistical analyses further indicated that sTLT1 was not only associated with common risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in both clinical and subclinical groups but also strongly correlated with disease severity. Ex vivo studies on macrophages showed that sTLT1 interacts with Fcɣ receptor I (FcɣRI) to activate spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK)-mediated downstream MAP kinase signalling cascade to activate nuclear factor-κ B (NF-kB). Activation of NF-kB induces secretion of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from macrophage cells that plays pivotal role in governing the persistence of chronic inflammation. Atherosclerotic apoE−/− mice also showed high levels of sTLT1 and TNF-α in nearly occluded aortic stage indicating the contribution of sTLT1 in inflammation. Our results clearly demonstrate that sTLT1 is clinically related to the risk factors of CAD. We also showed that binding of sTLT1 with macrophage membrane receptor, FcɣR1 initiates inflammatory signals in macrophages suggesting its critical role in thrombus development and atherosclerosis.


2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Erickson-Levendoski ◽  
Mahalakshmi Sivasankar

The epithelium plays a critical role in the maintenance of laryngeal health. This is evident in that laryngeal disease may result when the integrity of the epithelium is compromised by insults such as laryngopharyngeal reflux. In this article, we will review the structure and function of the laryngeal epithelium and summarize the impact of laryngopharyngeal reflux on the epithelium. Research investigating the ramifications of reflux on the epithelium has improved our understanding of laryngeal disease associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux. It further highlights the need for continued research on the laryngeal epithelium in health and disease.


Crisis ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Venta ◽  
Carla Sharp

Background: Identifying risk factors for suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (SRTB) is essential among adolescents in whom SRTB remain a leading cause of death. Although many risk factors have already been identified, influential theories now suggest that the domain of interpersonal relationships may play a critical role in the emergence of SRTB. Because attachment has long been seen as the foundation of interpersonal functioning, we suggest that attachment insecurity warrants attention as a risk factor for SRTB. Aims: This study sought to explore relations between attachment organization and suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm in an inpatient adolescent sample, controlling for demographic and psychopathological covariates. Method: We recruited 194 adolescents from an inpatient unit and assigned them to one of four attachment groups (secure, preoccupied, dismissing, or disorganized attachment). Interview and self-report measures were used to create four variables reflecting the presence or absence of suicidal ideation in the last year, single lifetime suicide attempt, multiple lifetime suicide attempts, and lifetime self-harm. Results: Chi-square and regression analyses did not reveal significant relations between attachment organization and SRTB, although findings did confirm previously established relations between psychopathology and SRTB, such that internalizing disorder was associated with increased self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt and externalizing disorder was associated with increased self-harm. Conclusion: The severity of this sample and methodological differences from previous studies may explain the nonsignificant findings. Nonsignificant findings may indicate that the relation between attachment organization and SRTB is moderated by other factors that should be explored in future research.


2020 ◽  

Background: The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a major concern for those who are more vulnerable to infections. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the most important risk factors for severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: This retrospective study included information on clinical and epidemiological features of 105 patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalized in Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Initially, the medical records of the patients were investigated, and an interview was conducted based on a pre-prepared checklist to seek information about symptoms, past medical history, medication history, and behavior before hospitalization. Results: Out of 105 participants, 76 (72.5%) cases were male, and 54 (51.4%) patients were older than 54 years old. The majority of the patients (n=18; 17.1%) had both hypertension and diabetes (n=12; 11.4%). Metformin (n=36; 34.3%) was the most used medication amongst the studied patient. In addition, 24 (22.9%) patients were recreational hookah smokers, and the majority (75%) of them were under the age of 46 years old. Eventually, 19 patients were excluded from the study, of whom 11 individuals had diabetes, and 10 cases were using metformin. Conclusion: Apparently, hookah smoking played a critical role in the spread of COVID-19 in Iran and has made younger people more susceptible. In addition to older age, the immunosuppressive effects of Metformin seem to make diabetic patients with an impaired immune system more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. More studies on the immune system of vulnerable individuals by identifying their differences can help to protect them.


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