Treatment of reflux-related and non-reflux-related dysphonia with profound gastric acid inhibition

Thirty-eight patients with dysphonia exceeding 3 months, not caused by trauma, infection, paralysis or allergy, were studied. In all patients a 24-hour ambulatory dual-probe pH monitoring, 5 and 20 cm above the lower oesophageal sphincter was performed. Subsequently they were treated with lansoprazole 30 mg once daily during 6 weeks. A voice range profile, perceptual evaluation of the voice and videolaryngostroboscopy were performed in all patients before and after treatment. A questionnaire about laryngeal symptoms and heartburn was completed on the same two occasions. Thirty-nine percent (15 out of 38) of the patients had an abnormal pH profile and were considered to have reflux-related dysphonia. Only these patients showed a significant improvement in their subjective score on dysphonia (p < 0.05), chronic cough (p < 0.05), dysphagia (p < 0. 05) and heartburn (p < 0.01). Also posterior erythema decreased significantly in these patients (p < 0.01). Only 2 of the 15 subjects did not complain of heartburn.