ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD) is highly prevalent in children and there is a tendency to disappear or decrease its frequency in the first year. However, in certain circumstances this reflux can have adverse consequences and these cases are known as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The clinical manifestations of GERD include typical and atypical or extra digestive symptoms. The association between GERD and chronic laryngeal symptoms may present clinically as recurrent croup, stridor, chronic or intermittent hoarseness, globus sensation, excessive chronic cough and posterior rhinorrhea. Multi-channel intraluminal impedance-pH 24 hours (IIM-pH 24h) is the diagnostic method of choice for the study of this association. OBJECTIVE: To describe the behavior and characteristics of GERD in patients with recurrent laryngitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving pediatric patients with recurrent laryngitis (2 or more episodes in 6 months) referred for study of possible GERD. RESULTS: We evaluated 28 children. Only 7 of them had normal studies. CONCLUSION: There is a significant percentage of patients with normal 24 hour Ph monitoring that had not been diagnosed with GERD without IIM. There was not a characteristic pattern.