Pharyngeal pH monitoring in infants with laryngitis

OBJECTIVE: To assess pharyngeal acid reflux (PAR) exposure with flexible laryngoscopy-guided pharyngeal pH monitoring in infants with laryngitis. STUDY DESIGN: Tertiary care children's hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Charts of 10 infants with laryngitis who underwent pharyngoesophageal pH monitoring were reviewed. Data included history, physical examination, and pharyngoesophageal pH monitoring findings. RESULTS: Six infants had PAR. Two patients were on acid suppressive therapy and exhibited PAR. The number of PAR observed in six infants ranged between 1 and 81. The percent acid exposure time (AET) in the pharynx was between 0.1 % and 1.2%. Esophageal acid reflux documented in nine infants ranged between 5 and 173. The percent AET in the esophagus was between 0.1% and 4.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the studied infants with laryngitis had PAR. Not all esophageal acid reflux reached the pharynx. Pharyngeal pH monitoring provides additional information that cannot be obtained with esophageal pH monitoring in infants with laryngitis. (C) 2007 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. All rights reserved.