Assessment of treatment response in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux

To evaluate treatment response in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). A prospective study of 100 patients with voice disorders was conducted. Patients were evaluated using reflux symptom index (RSI) and reflux finding score (RFS) by 70° rigid laryngoscope. Patients with RFS score of 7 or more were diagnosed of having LPR and were started with anti-reflux therapy for a period of 6 months. Patients were assessed at regular intervals using RSI and RFS. The prevalence of LPR in patients with voice disorders was found to be 25%. The mean RSI score improved gradually and significantly over a period of 6 months from 11.84 at presentation to 2.04 after 6 months of treatment (p value <0.001). The mean value of RFS improved from 7.92 at entry to 1.52 after 6 months of treatment (p value <0.001). However, it was found that the improvement was not significant at end of first month of treatment, and improvement in RSI and RFS scores was found only after 2 months of treatment. RSI and RFS improve significantly after treatment for 6 months with PPI like Omeprazole. But the improvement starts from the 2nd month from the onset of treatment. Treatment of LPR for at least 6 months may be indicated to attain a full resolution of physical findings.