Evaluation of the relationship between globus sensation and structural disorder of inlet patch in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

Inlet patch (IP) lesion is the presence of gastric columnar epithelial tissue outside of the stomach. Symptoms such as a lump in the throat, chronic cough, laryngitis, or other mouth-throat symptoms may be IP-related only and have no other abnormalities. This study aimed to determine the relationship between globus sensation and structural disorder of Inlet Patch in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

The case-control study was performed in patients who were referred to the endoscopy ward of Sina Hospital in Tehran from October 2016 to October 2017. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux and endoscopic indications. Patients who had endoscopic indications and underwent endoscopy were evaluated. Information on reflux esophagitis and inlet patch structural disorder were determined. Symptoms of reflux, including a lump in the throat, were identified and recorded. Then the frequency of globus sensation in patients with inlet patch structural disorder (patient group) and without it (control group) was compared.

A total of 100 patients with gastric reflux participated in this study. Patients included 42 men (42%) and 58 women (58%). The mean age of patients was 41.17±10.35 years (18-77 years). The severity of mild reflux was 57%, moderate reflux was 27% and severe reflux was 16%. 28% of patients had a lump in the throat and 12 patients had an inlet patch. There was a statistically significant relationship between inlet patch and globus sensation (p=0.001). All patients with inlet patch had globus sensation. 81.8% of patients without inlet patch did not feel a lump in the throat. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups with and without inlet patch in terms of globus sensation in general and in terms of different clinical variables (p=0.001).

The findings of the study showed that inlet patch had a significant relationship with the feeling of a lump in the throat and all patients with inlet patch felt Globus sensation.As the result, to diagnose a patient with an inlet patch, other causes such as esophagitis, hernia, heartburn and metabolic syndrome should be ruled out.