Potential therapeutic effect of continuous positive airway pressure on laryngopharyngeal reflux in obstructive sleep apnea patients

Abstract

To investigate the potential therapeutic effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on laryngopharyngeal reflux in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, we performed a retrospective analysis of data prospectively collected from patients who underwent CPAP therapy after being diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA between January 2019 and May 2020. Subjects were asked to complete the reflux symptom index (RSI) questionnaire before and after CPAP. Additionally, a laryngoscopic examination was performed to evaluate objective endoscopic findings and determine reflux finding score (RFS). A total of 46 patients were included in the analysis. Overall, significant decreases in mean RSI score (10.85 ± 6.40 vs. 8.80 ± 7.99, p < 0.001) and RFS (7.41 ± 3.32 vs. 4.65 ± 2.12, p < 0.001) were observed after CPAP treatment. Within subdomains of the RSI, throat clearing, postnasal drip, breathing difficulty, troublesome cough, and foreign body sensation were significantly improved by CPAP treatment. All subdomains of RFS, with the exception of posterior commissure hypertrophy and granuloma, showed significant differences after CPAP treatment. There were no differences between subgroups according to body mass index or severity of OSA. CPAP treatment in OSA potentially reduces laryngeal reflux symptoms and improves laryngeal examination findings.