Reflux Diagnostic
TECH 220424: Extra-oesophageal Reflux (EOR)
Reflux of gastric contents not only damages the oesophagus resulting in GORD but can reach beyond the gastrointestinal tract and damage the delicate laryngeal and respiratory tissues. Damage to these tissues produce symptoms such as hoarseness, voice disorders, chronic cough, throat clearing and asthma. The symptoms resulting from gastric refluxate damaging tissues beyond the oesophagus is collectively described as extra oesophageal reflux (EOR). 35% of the US population exhibit symptoms of EOR while 50% of all voice disorder or chronic cough patients will be diagnosed with EOR.
Current diagnostic testing for EOR is the same as that for GORD, namely 24 hour dual-probe pH monitoring. However, this technique is severely flawed for use in EOR because the laryngeal tissue is significantly more sensitive than the oesophagus. TECH 220424 is a novel non-invasive diagnostic test to detect pepsin, a biomarker for EOR, that can alleviate the need for uncomfortable internal exploration and significantly reduce costs. This will enable rapid diagnosis of EOR and allow appropriate treatment to be instigated in a timely manner.
