Background

Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease is crucial to be recognized or otherwise may lead

to aerodigestive tract diseases that can be life-threatening. The symptoms and signs
of this disease tend to be vague and unspecific which can potentially be missed and
stay undiagnosed. Both RSI and RFS assessments are able to help the diagnosis of
laryngopharyngeal reflux disease with RSI > 13 and RFS > 7 as suspected
laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. RSI scores assessed based on the analysis of
patient complaints while RFS scores assessed based on the flexible fiber-optic
nasopharyngolaryngoscopy examination.

Objective

To determine the correlation between RSI and RFS in the patients with
laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms.

Methods

This study used a cross-sectional study in which 40 samples obtained with RSI > 13
from April until September 2013 and flexible fiber-optic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy
was performed in order to assess RFS.

Results

26 women (65%) and 14 men (35%) were obtained from 40 samples. The largest
age group were between 45-64 years old in 20 samples (50%) and the most highly
educated participants were 21 samples (52.5 %). The mean BMI = 25.8 and mostly
in normal weight. The most main complaint was the sensation of mountainous lump
within the throat in 20 samples (50%). The most common complaint was throat
clearing (97.5 %). The mean RSI = 18.2 and RFS = 10.48. No significant correlation
between gender, age, level of education, BMI, and main complaint with RFS scores
found. No significant correlation between the RSI and RFS scores found.

Conclusion

RSI scores are not able to predict RFS scores. The patients who possess
laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms with RSI > 13 should be inspected by flexible
fiber-optic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy in order to assess RFS scores.