Upper Endoscopy in Patients with GERD-Related ENT Symptoms

These results challenge the notion that upper GI endoscopy is not helpful for diagnostic evaluation of extraesophageal GERD. Nonetheless, endoscopy for ENT patients should be reserved for those with esophageal alarm signs or symptoms.

Endoscopy is not recommended for evaluating patients with extraesophageal complications of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) because of the reportedly low prevalence of erosive esophagitis in these patients. However, this recommendation is based on studies limited by size and by the accuracy of assessment modalities. In this study, researchers prospectively evaluated the diagnostic yield of upper endoscopy in 405 consecutively referred patients with chronic and unexplained ear, nose, and throat (ENT) symptoms and in 545 typical GERD patients (controls). None of the patients or controls had been treated with acid-suppressive therapy for at least 6 months before the ENT consult or referral to the GI clinic.

ENT patients were grouped accor…

Reviewing Author

David A. Johnson, MD