Annals of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (ISSN 2835-7132) | Volume 2, Issue 4 | Original Research | Open Access DOI
Ye Ji Shim*
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul National University Hospital,Seoul,Korea
*Correspondence to: Ye Ji Shim
Fulltext PDFObjective: Globus pharyngeus is frequently encountered in otolaryngological practice but the etiology remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the sensation of globus pharyngeus and the esophageal air shadow as visualized on cervical computed tomography (CT).
Methods: A total of 46 patients with globus pharyngeus (the globus group) and 92 control subjects with cervical lymphadenopathy underwent cervical CT scans. Age and gender matching were conducted between the two groups. Parameters such as the maximum diameter, volume, and location of the esophageal air shadow were measured. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for reproducibility assessment in 30 patients who had repeated CT scans.
Results: The maximum diameter and volume of the esophageal air shadow did not show statistically significant differences between the globus and control groups (p=0.895 and p=0.588, respectively). A low ICC indicated poor reproducibility in the measurement of the esophageal air shadow's maximum diam6eter and volume.
Conclusions: Our study found no significant association between globus sensation and esophageal air shadow dimensions on cervical CT. The presence of GERD and the use of medications like proton pump inhibitors and prokinetics could not be adequately accounted for, highlighting the need for more stringent controls in future research. These findings serve as a preliminary foundation for prospective studies and may inform the formulation of hypotheses in the ongoing investigation of globus pharyngeus.
Globus Pharyngeus; Esophageal Air Shadow; Cervical Computed Tomography; Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Ye Ji Shim. Globus Pharyngeus and Esophageal Air Shadow: A Retrospective Case-Control Study Using Cervical Computed Tomography. Annal of Otol Head and Neck Surg. 2023;2(4):1-4.