Correlation study between Belafsky index and score for extraesophageal reflux diagnosis

Abstract

Introduction: Reflux is a frequent pathology in the ENT office. When relating to problems such as chronic laryngitis, laryngeal carcinoma, among others, its understanding and early detection is important. 24-hour ambulatory pH monitoring is the gold standard for diagnosis, but is not performed routinely. There are other tools for the detection of this pathology such as the Belafsky reflux symptoms index (RSI) and the Belafsky reflux findings score (RFS). Methodology: In this study, the RSI and the RFS were compared, seeking correlation between the two, to contribute to a better approach to diagnosis in outpatients with suspected extraesophageal reflux (EER). All patients were attended in ENT clinic with suggestive symptoms of EER, were included during the period from August 2020 to february 2021. Results: Ninety-two patients with an average age of 52 years old were studied, to which the Belafsky RSI and RFS were applied. The RSI was positive in 81.5% (n: 75) of the patients; the RFS at 83.7% (n: 77). The best concordance was in relation to the patients who obtained a positive result in both the ISR and the PHR, had a sensitivity of 92% (positive predictive value of 90%), and a specificity of 53% (negative predictive value of 60%). Conclusions: We conclude that Belafsky's ISR and PHR are useful for studying patients with suspected EER, with low cost and high reproducibility.