Preliminary study on symptoms and signs of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux disease infected with Helicobacter pylori.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the symptoms and signs of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori (HP) and provide a clinical reference for the treatment of such patients. From January 2023 to October 2024, HP tests were performed on 97 outpatients who received a diagnosis of LPRD at the Department of Otolaryngology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, among whom 60 patients were HP-positive and 37 patients were HP-negative. The symptom and sign scores of the patients who were HP-positive and HP-negative were statistically compared. After treatment, the symptom scores of patients who were HP-positive (treated with anti-HP quadruple therapy) and patients who were HP-negative (treated with acid suppression therapy) were analysed. The results showed that significant differences in dysphagia symptoms (P=0.038) and vocal cord oedema signs (P=0.026) were observed between patients who were HP-positive and HP-negative. After treatment, the total Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) scores were significantly decreased in both groups (HP-positive group, Z=6.733, P<0.001; HP-negative group, Z=4.546, P<0.001). Moreover, the improvement in RSI scores was significantly greater in the HP-positive group compared with in the HP-negative group (Z=-4.12; P<0.001). In conclusion, after being infected with HP, the symptoms of dysphagia and the signs of vocal cord oedema in LPRD increase significantly; therefore, HP infection may exacerbate the severity of LPRD.