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Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
Published on: March 1, 2015
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Correlating videofluoroscopic swallow study findings with subjective globus location
Alexandra S Ortiz1, Alexandria Lawton2, Elizabeth Rives2
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston.
The Laryngoscope
|October 17, 2018
Summary
Videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) often identify abnormalities in patients with globus sensation. However, these findings frequently do not correlate with the patient's reported throat location, questioning the study's clinical utility.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Gastroenterology
- Speech Pathology
Background:
- Globus sensation, the feeling of a lump in the throat, involves multiple medical specialists and diagnostic tests.
- Patients often undergo numerous evaluations and treatments for globus symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) in characterizing globus etiology.
- To determine if subjective globus location correlates with atypical VFSS findings.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective chart review of 216 patients with a primary complaint of globus sensation who underwent VFSS over 24 months.
- Globus location was categorized as above the thyroid notch, between the thyroid notch and sternum, or substernal.
- VFSS findings were classified as oropharyngeal, pharyngoesophageal, or esophageal.
Main Results:
- 195 patients (90.3%) had VFSS findings potentially explaining their symptoms, often with multiple abnormalities.
- A significant number of patients showed abnormalities in different regions than their reported globus location (e.g., distal esophageal abnormalities in patients with superior globus).
Conclusions:
- While VFSS frequently detects abnormalities in globus patients, these findings often show poor correlation with the patient's perceived globus location.
- The overall clinical utility of VFSS for globus sensation is questionable due to this lack of correlation.
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