How many cases of laryngopharyngeal reflux suspected by laryngoscopy are gastroesophageal reflux disease-related?

Table 3 Laryngoscopic findings with the reflux finding score in 41 patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux, classified using multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring

Laryngoscopic findings	Ordinal scale	ERD/NERD (5)	HE (11)	No GERD1 (25)	P value
Infraglottic oedema (pseudosulcus)	0 = Absent	4	10	23	0.592
	2 = Present	1	1	2
Ventricular obliteration	0 = None	4	8	21	0.553
	2 = Partial	1	3	4
	4 = Complete	0	0	0
Erythema/hyperemia	0 = None	0	0	1	0.474
	2 = Arytenoids only	2	6	15
	4 = Diffuse	3	5	9
Vocal fold oedema	0 = None	3	7	19	0.375
	1 = Mild	2	1	4
	2 = Moderate	0	3	2
	3 = Severe	0	0	0
	4 = Polypoid	0	0	0
Diffuse laryngeal oedema	0 = None	0	4	10	0.271
	1 = Mild	1	4	7
	2 = Moderate	2	3	5
	3 = Severe	2	0	3
	4 = Obstructing	0	0	0
Posterior commissure hypertrophy	0 = None	0	0	0	0.763
	1 = Mild	2	5	12
	2 = Moderate	1	5	10
	3 = Severe	2	1	3
	4 = Obstructing	0	0	0
Granuloma/granulation	0 = Absent	5	10	24	0.876
	2 = Present	0	1	1
Thick endolaryngeal mucus	0 = Absent	2	7	12	0.909
	2 = Present	3	4	10

¹Patients with normal acid exposure time and without correlation between symptoms and refluxes. ERD: Erosive esophagitis; NERD: Non erosive esophagitis; HE: Hypersensitive esophagus.