The Diagnostic Usefullness of the Salivary Pepsin Test in Symptomatic Laryngopharyngeal Reflux.

OBJECTIVE: Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) is a disease characterized by the presence of symptoms, signs and tissue alterations in the aero-digestive upper tract as a consequence of the gastric contents retrograde movement. In most cases diagnosis is clinical and it is established by the presence of symptoms and endoscopic laryngeal signs. The aim of the study was to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative Likelihood Ratio (LR) of the salivary pepsin assay (PEP-test, RD Biomed, Hull, UK) as diagnostic tool of LPR. STUDY DESIGN: Diagnostic Accuracy Study. METHOD: 221 subjects aged between 26 and 68 years were recruited. All subjects completed the Reflux Symptom Index scale. PEP-test was carried out on fasting subjects, and a second test was performed one hour after the main meal, only on those subjects with a fasting negative result. RESULTS: Fasting PEP-test showed a 98% specificity, 40% sensitivity, positive LR of 16.4 and negative LR of 0.61. The use of both PEP-test showed a 95% specificity, 48% sensitivity, positive LR of 9.61 and negative LR of 0.55. CONCLUSIONS: The PEP-test is a simple, inexpensive, non-invasive and easily reproducible test that should be considered as an alternative diagnosis tool for LPR diagnosis. When there is a clinical suspicion of LPR disease, a positive result on the test could be considered diagnostic, but on subjects with negative results it should be complemented with more complex tests such as the 24-hour dual-channel pH-metry.

Valoración de la reacción emocional provocada por la prueba vestibular calórica mediante monitorización de variables fisiológicas / Emotional reaction evaluation provoked by the vestibular caloric test through physiological variables monitoring

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: La valoración emocional que provoca el vértigo se realiza mediante la historia clínica y diversos cuestionarios subjetivos. El objetivo del presente trabajo es valorar la respuesta emocional de forma objetiva, en sujetos normales, durante la crisis de vértigo inducida. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Se realizó la prueba vestibular calórica con agua fría en 30 sujetos sanos. Durante los 60 s previos a la estimulación y los 60 s posteriores a la misma se monitorizaron las siguientes variables fisiológicas: Conductabilidad cutánea, Volumen de pulso periférico, Temperatura corporal, Contracción muscular, Frecuencia cardiaca y Frecuencia respiratoria. Se valoró la velocidad angular máxima de la fase lenta del nistagmo provocado en cada estimulación. RESULTADOS: Durante las crisis de vértigo, la conductabilidad cutánea presentó un aumento estadísticamente significativo con relación al periodo previo a las mismas, mientras que el volumen de pulso periférico presentó una disminución estadísticamente significativa. No hubo relación entre la velocidad angular de la fase lenta del nistagmo provocado y los cambios de la conductabilidad y el volumen de pulso periférico. La disminución provocada en el volumen de pulso periférico fue significativamente mayor en la segunda crisis de vértigo. CONCLUSIONES: La conductabilidad cutánea y el volumen de pulso periférico cambiaron de forma significativa durante las crisis de vértigo. No Hubo relación entre la intensidad de la crisis vertiginosa provocada y los cambios producidos en estas variables. El estrés generado por la estimulación calórica es mayor en la segunda crisis, cuando el sujeto tiene experiencia del vértigo que provoca la estimulación

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The emotional evaluation of the causes of vertigo is made using the clinical records and several subjective questionnaires. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the emotional response objectively, in normal subjects, during an induced vertigo crisis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A caloric vestibular test with cold water was performed on 30 healthy subjects. The following physiological parameters were monitored during the 60 seconds prior to and the 60 seconds after the stimulation: Skin Conductivity, Peripheral Pulse Volume, Body Temperature, Muscle Contraction, Heart Rate, and Respiratory Rate. The maximum angular speed of the nystagmus slow phase at each stimulation was assessed. RESULTS: Skin conductance presented a statistically significant increase during the vertigo crisis in relation to the prior period while the peripheral pulse volume presented a statistically significant decrease. There was no relationship between the slow phase of the provoked nystagmus angular speed and skin conductance and peripheral pulse volume changes. The decrease in peripheral pulse volume was significantly higher in the second vertigo crisis. CONCLUSIONS: Skin conductance and peripheral pulse volume changed significantly during a vertigo crisis. There was no relation between the provoked vertiginous crisis intensity and the changes produced in those variables. The stress generated by the caloric stimulation is higher in the second crisis, when the subject has experience of the vertigo caused by the stimulation

Test de pepsina en saliva: prueba útil y sencilla para el diagnóstico del reflujo faringo-laríngeo / Salivary Pepsin Test: Useful and simple tool for the laryngopharyngeal reflux diagnosis

Introducción y objetivos: El reflujo faringo-laríngeo (RFL) es una enfermedad caracterizada por la presencia de síntomas, signos y alteraciones tisulares, consecuencia del movimiento retrógrado del contenido gastrointestinal hacia el tracto aerodigestivo superior. Representa hasta el 10% de las consultas en otorrinolaringología. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es describir los hallazgos obtenidos al aplicar el test de determinación de pepsina en saliva (PEP-test) en una muestra de pacientes con signos clínicos sugestivos de RFL. Material y métodos: En nuestro estudio clínico descriptivo se han incluido 142 sujetos con síntomas sugestivos de RFL que obtuvieron puntuaciones por encima de 13 en la escala RSI. A todos ellos se les realizó una endoscopia laríngea para descartar otras enfermedades que pudieran justificar los síntomas y el PEP-test. Ésta se realizó en ayunas a todos los sujetos, y en aquellos con resultados negativos se realizó una segunda determinación una hora después de comer. Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos en las pruebas realizadas en los 142 sujetos incluidos fueron los siguientes: 105 pacientes (73,94%) presentaron resultados positivos en alguna de las determinaciones de pepsina en saliva y en 37 sujetos (26,06%) los resultados de ambas determinaciones fueron negativos. Conclusión: El PEP-test es un método sencillo, económico, no invasivo y fácilmente repetible que podría minimizar el uso de tratamientos empíricos y pruebas invasivas para el diagnóstico del RFL, si bien son necesarias más investigaciones para la validación del mismo (AU)

Introduction and objectives: Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) is a disease characterized by the presence of symptoms, signs and tissue damage caused by retrograde flow of gastric contents to the upper aerodigestive tract. It represents up to 10% of otolaryngology consultations. The aim of the study is to describe the findings obtained by applying the salivary pepsin test (PEP-test) in a sample of patients with the clinical suspicion of LPR. Material and methods: Our descriptive clinical study included 142 subjects with symptoms suggestive of LPR and a score above 13 on the RSI scale. The subjects underwent laryngeal endoscopy to rule out other pathologies that could justify the symptoms and the salivary pepsin test (PEP-test). The latter was carried out on fasting subjects and a second test one hour after eating, only on those with negative results. Results: The results obtained in the tests performed on the 142 patients included in the study were: 105 (73.94%) presented positive results in some of the salivary pepsin tests and the results of both tests were negative in 37 subjects (26.06%). Conclusion: The salivary pepsin test is a simple, low-cost, non-invasive and easily repeatable tool which could minimize empirical treatments and invasive tests for LPR diagnosis, although further research is needed for its validation (AU)

Emotional reaction evaluation provoked by the vestibular caloric test through physiological variables monitoring. / Valoración de la reacción emocional provocada por la prueba vestibular calórica mediante monitorización de variables fisiológicas.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The emotional evaluation of the causes of vertigo is made using the clinical records and several subjective questionnaires. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the emotional response objectively, in normal subjects, during an induced vertigo crisis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A caloric vestibular test with cold water was performed on 30 healthy subjects. The following physiological parameters were monitored during the 60seconds prior to and the 60seconds after the stimulation: Skin Conductivity, Peripheral Pulse Volume, Body Temperature, Muscle Contraction, Heart Rate, and Respiratory Rate. The maximum angular speed of the nystagmus slow phase at each stimulation was assessed. RESULTS: Skin conductance presented a statistically significant increase during the vertigo crisis in relation to the prior period while the peripheral pulse volume presented a statistically significant decrease. There was no relationship between the slow phase of the provoked nystagmus angular speed and skin conductance and peripheral pulse volume changes. The decrease in peripheral pulse volume was significantly higher in the second vertigo crisis. CONCLUSIONS: Skin conductance and peripheral pulse volume changed significantly during a vertigo crisis. There was no relation between the provoked vertiginous crisis intensity and the changes produced in those variables. The stress generated by the caloric stimulation is higher in the second crisis, when the subject has experience of the vertigo caused by the stimulation.

Salivary Pepsin Test: Useful and simple tool for the laryngopharyngeal reflux diagnosis. / Test de pepsina en saliva: prueba útil y sencilla para el diagnóstico del reflujo faringo-laríngeo.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) is a disease characterized by the presence of symptoms, signs and tissue damage caused by retrograde flow of gastric contents to the upper aerodigestive tract. It represents up to 10% of otolaryngology consultations. The aim of the study is to describe the findings obtained by applying the salivary pepsin test (PEP-test) in a sample of patients with the clinical suspicion of LPR. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our descriptive clinical study included 142 subjects with symptoms suggestive of LPR and a score above 13 on the RSI scale. The subjects underwent laryngeal endoscopy to rule out other pathologies that could justify the symptoms and the salivary pepsin test (PEP-test). The latter was carried out on fasting subjects and a second test one hour after eating, only on those with negative results. RESULTS: The results obtained in the tests performed on the 142 patients included in the study were: 105 (73.94%) presented positive results in some of the salivary pepsin tests and the results of both tests were negative in 37 subjects (26.06%). CONCLUSION: The salivary pepsin test is a simple, low-cost, non-invasive and easily repeatable tool which could minimize empirical treatments and invasive tests for LPR diagnosis, although further research is needed for its validation.

Hyperfunctional Voice Disorder in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A Phenotypic Characteristic?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to detect specific vocal aerodynamic patterns in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients and to define a possible new phenotypic feature of this disorder that must be diagnosed and treated. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective study. METHODS: Seventy-nine children aged 5-13 years were recruited: 44 children with ADHD diagnosis and 35 children, as a control group, matched according to age and gender. All children were evaluated in the voice laboratory. Each subject repeated sustained vowels, syllables, words, and sentences several times. Intraoral pressure, transglottal airflow, microphone, and electroglottograph results were recorded and analyzed. Children affected by ADHD, with adequate tolerance, were evaluated endoscopically and by the speech therapist. RESULTS: The aerodynamic analysis shows that the subglottal pressure is higher and transglottal airflow is lower in ADHD children compared with the children of the control group. Those differences are statistically significant. The endoscopic physical examination showed vocal nodules in 25 children (78.125%) and hyperfunctional vocal behavior in all ADHD children studied. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed that every child with ADHD disorder must be evaluated from a laryngeal point of view (otolaryngologist and speech therapist) as an important part of the diagnosis and global treatment. It could be considered as a new phenotypic characteristic of this disorder.

Clinical parameters predicting development of pulmonary malignancies in patients treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: As the locoregional control rates in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have increased, these patients may suffer distant metastasis in a higher proportion of cases. Clinicopathological characteristics allowing prediction of high-risk profile would allow adapting posttreatment surveillance to individual risk. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients with HNSCC treated at the Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, between 1999 and 2008 was conducted for this study. RESULTS: The study included 428 patients with a mean follow-up of 65 months (±SEM 1.7). Eighty patients (18.6%) developed pulmonary malignancy during follow-up. In multivariate Cox-regression analysis, locoregional failure and current smoking were associated with higher risk of pulmonary malignancy (p < .001 and p = .008, respectively). CONCLUSION: Locoregional failure and smoking persistence are predictors of pulmonary malignancy in patients with HNSCC. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1277-E1280, 2016.

A survey on pulmonary screening practices among otolaryngology-head & neck surgeons across Canada in the post treatment surveillance of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Post treatment lung screening for head and neck cancer patients primarily focuses on the distant metastasis and a high rate of second primary can also be expected. The best screening tool and timing for this purpose is controversial. We sought out to assess the current practice and beliefs among Canadian Head and Neck Surgeons. METHODS: After Ethical Board approval, a nationwide survey was conducted through the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology (CSO) among head and neck surgeons regarding their practices for pulmonary screening in HNSCC patients. RESULTS: Our CSO survey among Otolaryngology-head and neck surgeons showed that 26 out of 32 respondents perform routine lung screen, out of which 23 (88%) feel that chest radiography should be preferred. The majority of respondents felt that lung screening could impact beneficially on mortality. For symptomatic patients, low-dose spiral CT was the preferred modality (48%), followed by PET/CT scan (14%) and sputum cytology (14%). In high-risk asymptomatic patients (current smoker, radiation exposure, family history and advanced HNSCC), 31% of respondents performed a CXR. The same percentage performed a low dose CT, while 19% relied on PET scan. A further 19% of respondents did not perform any screening in high-risk patients. Most respondents (77%) had more than 10 years practice since graduation from medical school and came from the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. CONCLUSION: Chest radiography remains the preferred modality for lung screening and was believed to be impacting beneficially on lung mortality. The recent literature does not seem to be in agreement with those beliefs. Further studies to establish which modality is best and concurrent nation-wide education are warranted.

Recent onset disequilibrium mimicking acute vestibulopathy in early multiple sclerosis.

The differential diagnosis of patients with acute unilateral vestibulopathy rests in the proper clinical assessment and use of selected tests of vestibular function. In case of a central nervous system lesion as in Multiple Sclerosis, the case shown here, it is of particular importance to observe congruency between severity of symptoms and signs and, of topographic diagnosis. We report a case of a 37-year-old woman with recent onset disequilibrium that after careful analysis of the different test results several incongruences were found; this prompted a radiological study that provided the clue to diagnosis. After treatment the patient recovered completely not only clinically but also in vestibular deficit.

Exploración clínica y videoasistida del reflejo vestíbulo-oculomotor: análisis comparativo / Clinical and video-assisted examination of the vestibulo-ocular reflex: a comparative study

Introducción: El estudio del reflejo vestíbulo-oculomotor (RVO) es uno de los pasos más importantes en la evaluación del paciente con cualquier alteración del equilibrio. Se puede realizar de forma clínica mediante impulsos cefálicos analizando la posición ocular final refleja y es una prueba de gran valor en la cabecera del paciente por su alta especificidad a pesar de su baja sensibilidad. En este trabajo vamos a comparar los resultados de esta valoración con los de una nueva metodología basada en el registro videoasistido del desplazamiento ocular inducido por el impulso cefálico. Material y métodos: El trabajo se realiza en 179 pacientes con diferentes tipos de trastornos del equilibrio. Se hace un estudio por medio de tablas de contingencia de los resultados de los impulsos cefálicos a derecha e izquierda en cada paciente. Los resultados de cada prueba se clasifican en normales y anormales. El estudio clínico es anormal cuando se detectan sacadas de refijación al finalizar el impulso cefálico y el estudio videoasistido se clasifica de acuerdo a los parámetros de ganancia del reflejo y a la existencia de sacadas de refijación. Adicionalmente se estudia la intensidad del nistagmo espontáneo y el resultado en la prueba calórica. Resultados: En el 32,1% de las pruebas realizadas existe disparidad de resultados y esta diferencia es debida fundamentalmente a un patrón de respuesta analizada en el estudio videoasistido caracterizado por una ganancia normal y sacadas de refijación de moderada velocidad intermedias entre las encubiertas y las evidentes. Esto no es un patrón normal, toda vez que en la prueba calórica se observó que el valor promedio de la paresia canalicular es anormal: 39%±10. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos en este nuevo método de exploración amplían los del estudio clínico: no es un mero aditamento a la exploración clínica. La causa fundamental de la baja sensibilidad de la prueba clínica se basa en la incapacidad de detectar o, en dar como normal, pequeñas sacadas de refijación: representan la secuela de un daño vestibular precedente o actual y necesita una mejor caracterización (AU)

Introduction: The assessment of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is one of the main steps in clinically evaluating patients with dizziness. It can be performed at the bedside with common head-impulse test in which eye position is analysed at the end of the head-thrust. It is an important test due to its high specificity but low sensitivity. Material and methods: We studied 179 patients with different types of balance- affecting disorders. The results were analysed in contingency tables. The clinical test was classified as normal or abnormal according to the absence or existence, respectively, of fixation saccades once the head-thrust was ended. The video head-impulse test (vHIT) was classified according to vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and presence of fixation saccades. The speed of the slow phase of spontaneous nystagmus was also quantified, as well as the caloric test results. Results: There were significant differences (Chi-square test, P=0.00) for the findings in the clinical evaluation and with the vHIT: 32.1% of the tests performed yielded different findings in both tests. In the vHIT, the differences were due to the finding of normal gain with saccades; in these patients, the mean canal paresis was significantly abnormal: 39%±10%. Conclusions: The distribution of findings for the VOR bedside examination and for that with the help of a video system are significantly different; as such, the video head-impulse examination is not simply an added VOR detection and registration system. The difference relies mainly on a vHIT response characterised as of normal gain but with fixation saccades. These have been considered as the cause for the low sensitivity of the bedside VOR examination and sometimes regarded as normal responses; we have demonstrated that these findings are abnormal according to the findings of higher canal paresis in the caloric test(AU)

Clinical and video-assisted examination of the vestibulo-ocular reflex: a comparative study.

INTRODUCTION: The assessment of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is one of the main steps in clinically evaluating patients with dizziness. It can be performed at the bedside with common head-impulse test in which eye position is analysed at the end of the head-thrust. It is an important test due to its high specificity but low sensitivity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 179 patients with different types of balance- affecting disorders. The results were analysed in contingency tables. The clinical test was classified as normal or abnormal according to the absence or existence, respectively, of fixation saccades once the head-thrust was ended. The video head-impulse test (vHIT) was classified according to vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) gain and presence of fixation saccades. The speed of the slow phase of spontaneous nystagmus was also quantified, as well as the caloric test results. RESULTS: There were significant differences (Chi-square test, P=0.00) for the findings in the clinical evaluation and with the vHIT: 32.1% of the tests performed yielded different findings in both tests. In the vHIT, the differences were due to the finding of normal gain with saccades; in these patients, the mean canal paresis was significantly abnormal: 39% ± 10%. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of findings for the VOR bedside examination and for that with the help of a video system are significantly different; as such, the video head-impulse examination is not simply an added VOR detection and registration system. The difference relies mainly on a vHIT response characterised as of normal gain but with fixation saccades. These have been considered as the cause for the low sensitivity of the bedside VOR examination and sometimes regarded as normal responses; we have demonstrated that these findings are abnormal according to the findings of higher canal paresis in the caloric test.