Laryngeal morphological changes due to gastroesophageal reflux disease.

UNLABELLED: Chronic laryngitis may have life impact on professional voice users. Besides smoking and excessive alcohol intake, GERD is a determiniing factor in the etiology of dysphonia.

AIM: To evaluate the laryngeal alteration due to GERD in professional voice users.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study included 96 vocal professionals (teachers, actors, singers and priests), 58 males and 38 females, with a mean age of 38.3 +/- 7.5 years, presented for chronic laryngeal symptoms. The patients filled out a standardized questionnaire and were examined laryngoscopically.

RESULTS

Laryngeal changes were scaled 0 (absence) to 7 (maximum) - arytenoid edema (5.07 +/- 1.08), interarytenoid edema (6.18 +/- 1.12), vocal folds edema (5.67 +/- 1.04), ventricular bands edema (4.96 +/- 0.97), laryngeal edema 4.12 +/- 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

Laryngoscopic changes may suggest the concomitance of GERD in professional voice users with dysphonia.