Change of signs, symptoms and voice quality evaluations throughout a 3‐ to 6‐month empirical treatment for laryngopharyngeal reflux disease

Objective To assess the usefulness of voice quality measurements as a treatment outcome in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR)‐related symptoms. Design Prospective uncontrolled multi‐centre study. Material and methods A total of 80 clinically diagnosed LPR patients with a reflux finding score (RFS)>7 and a reflux symptom index (RSI)>13 were treated with pantoprazole and diet recommendations during 3 or 6 months, according to their evolution. RSI; RFS; blinded Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain and Instability (GRBASI) and aerodynamic and acoustic measurements were evaluated at baseline, 3 months (n = 80), and 6 months (n = 41) post‐treatment. We conducted a correlation analysis between the adherence to the diet, and the evolution of both signs and symptoms and between videolaryngostroboscopic signs and acoustic measurements. Results Reflux symptom index, RFS, perceptual voice quality evaluations (dysphonia, roughness, strain and instability), and aerodynamic and acoustic measurements (ie, percent jitter and percent shimmer) were significantly improved at 3 months post‐treatment but not at 6 months. Percent jitter was the most useful outcome for evaluating the clinical evolution of patients throughout the treatment course. A significant relationship between globus sensation and posterior commissure hypertrophy was documented; both seemed to significantly improve from 3 to 6 months. The correlation analysis revealed correlations between adherence to diet recommendations and the improvement of symptoms and between posterior commissure granulation severity and acoustic measurement impairments. Conclusion Voice quality improved in a manner similar to both signs and symptoms throughout a 6‐month empirical treatment with better improvement the 3 first months. Voice quality assessments can be used as indicators of treatment effectiveness in patients with LPR‐related symptoms.