A Retrospective Analysis of the Pharyngeal Swallow in Patients with a Clinical Diagnosis of GERD Compared with Normal Controls: A Pilot Study

Abstract

In gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), there is a reverse flow of gastric contents up through the esophagus and potentially into the pharynx. Some patients who have GERD have reported difficulty in oropharyngeal swallowing. This study was designed to determine whether differences in the pharyngeal swallow exist in a sample of subjects diagnosed with GERD as compared with normal controls and to identify those events that may be different from normal. Functional measurements and timing data were taken from videofluorographic studies of 9 patients with GERD and 9 age and gender-matched controls. Several subjects with GERD spontaneously utilized compensatory maneuvers despite clinically normal swallows. Results show significant differences in some swallow temporal measures between the two groups. Implications of the effects of reflux are discussed.