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Updated: Oct 20, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
[Chronic laryngitis in children: the role of gastroesophageal reflux]
P Contencin1, L Gumpert, N Kalach
1Unité d'ORL, Hôpital Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, AP-HP, Faculté de Médecine Cochin-Port-Royal, Paris.
Insights
Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) is common in children with chronic laryngotracheal issues. This study found that 59% of children with these symptoms experienced pathological GOR.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
Context:
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) is linked to adult inflammatory ENT disorders.
- GOR is also correlated with recurrent croup in children.
Purpose:
- To determine the prevalence of GOR in children presenting with chronic laryngotracheal symptoms.
Summary:
- A study of 17 children (ages 2-14) with chronic cough or dysphonia underwent ENT examination, laryngoscopy, and 18-24 hour pH monitoring.
- Pathological GOR was identified in 59% (10 out of 17) of the children, with a mean of 156 reflux events per study, predominantly while awake.
Impact:
- Findings indicate a high frequency of pathological GOR in pediatric patients with chronic laryngotracheal conditions.
- Highlights the importance of considering GOR in the differential diagnosis of these pediatric respiratory symptoms.
Unlabelled:
Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) is associated with a number of inflammatory ENT disorders in the adult and is correlated with recurrent croup in the child.
Aim:
To estimate the frequency of GOR in a population of children consulting for chronic laryngotracheal symptoms.
Method:
The study included 17 children, aged between 2 and 14 years (mean: 7 years) all of whom suffered from dysphonia or a chronic cough. After a clinical ENT examination, each child had a fibreoptic laryngoscopy and a long duration pH-study lasting between 18 and 24 hours.
Results:
Pathological GOR was discovered in 10 children, i.e. 59%. Overall the number of refluxes per study varied from 6 to 816 (mean 156). The vast majority of these refluxes occurred when the child was awake.
Conclusion:
In our series of children with chronic laryngotracheal disorders, at least 59% were shown to suffer from pathological GOR.
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