A Study of the Diagnostic Value of the Sign and Symptom Questionnaires for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic value of symptom questionnaires, sign questionnaires, and the combination of 2 questionnaires for laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD).Study DesignProspective, single‐centered.SettingSeventy‐seven patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery from October 2022 to April 2023 were included.MethodsIncluded patients completed the RSS, RSI, RSA, and RFS questionnaires and underwent 24‐hour hypopharyngeal‐esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance‐pH monitoring (HEMII‐pH). The RSS, RSI, RSA, RFS, RSS+RSA, RSS+RFS, RSI+RSA, RSI+RFS, and RSI+RFS diagnostic value were compared using Cohen's k test and receiver operating characteristic analysis.ResultsBased on the 24 hours HEMII‐pH results, 52 patients had LPRD, and 25 patients did not have LPRD. The Kappa values of RSS, RSI, RSA, RFS, RSS+RSA,2 RSS+RFS, RSI+RSA, and RSI+RFS with the 24 hours HEMII‐pH monitoring results were 0.565, 0.442, 0.318, 0.431, 0.517, 0.631, 0.451, and 0.461, respectively. The RSS+RFS questionnaire had the highest AUC of 0.836 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.762‐0.909) and the RSA questionnaire had the lowest AUC (AUC = 0.665, 95% CI 0.560‐0.790). The sensitivity of RSS was the highest (98%), the specificities of RSS+RFS and RSI+RFS were the highest (96%), and the specificity of RSS was the lowest (52%). RSS+RFS had a sensitivity of 75%, second only to RSS and RFS (76%).ConclusionAmong the 8 methods, the RSS combined with the RFS had the highest concordance with 24 hours HEMII‐pH monitoring results and AUC values when screening for LPRD.