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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Otitis media in adults as a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux
Michihiko Sone1, Yuri Yamamuro, Hideo Hayashi
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. michsone@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Objective:
To investigate the clinical relationship between gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in adults.
Study Design And Setting:
Sixty patients with OME with unknown causes were asked to answer a new questionnaire specific for the diagnosis of GER disease; pepsinogen (PG) levels in their middle-ear effusions (MEEs) were measured.
Results:
The percentage of patients with high PG concentrations in their MEEs was significantly higher in those with questionnaire-positive GER than in those with questionnaire-negative GER. OME was present bilaterally in a significantly higher percentage of patients with questionnaire-positive GER. The PG levels decreased in some of the patients after receiving proton pump inhibitors, which also decreased the symptoms of GER.
Conclusion:
The presence of PG in MEEs supports the existence of GER; treatment for GER should be considered in patients with ear complaints, especially in those who have GER-related symptoms.
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