Role of Gastroesophageal Reflux in Pediatric Upper Airway Disorders

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) into the laryngopharynx causes or contributes significantly to a variety of upper respiratory problems in children. The pH probe, laryngeal examinations, and broncholveolar lavage results for children with subglottic stenosis, recurrent croup, apnea, chronic cough, laryngomalacia, recurrent choanal stenosis, vocal fold nodules, and chronic sinusitis/otitis/bronchitis were reviewed in an effort to quantify the role of GER in each of these disorders. This review suggests that GER plays a causative role in subglottic stenosis, recurrent croup, apnea, and chronic cough. It is an important inflammatory cofactor in laryngomalacia and possibly in true vocal cord nodules and problematic recurrent choanal stenosis. GER is also an important inflammatory cofactor in chronic sinusitis/otitis/bronchitis but may be the result of chronic illness in the older patients.