Laryngopharyngeal Reflux and Upper Airway Obstruction Patterns in Nonobese Sleep Apnea Patients.

Abstract

Objectives: The study aims to investigate the relationship between the presence of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and obstruction levels identified during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among nonobese patients.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 105 adult patients diagnosed with OSA who underwent DISE using propofol sedation from 2019 to 2024 at a tertiary hospital. To control for the confounding impact of obesity on LPR, the study selectively enrolled individuals presenting a body mass index within the normal range. LPR was assessed using Reflux Symptom Index and Reflux Finding Score. DISE was performed to evaluate upper airway obstruction at various levels, documented using the VOTE classification system by three blinded reviewers. Hypertrophy of the lingual and palatine tonsils was graded using a four-point scale.

Results: Approximately 48.57% of 105 patients showed the presence of LPR. The chi-square test demonstrated a statistically significant association between LPR and the level of airway obstruction, particularly at the tongue base (p = 0.039). Lingual tonsil hypertrophy Grade 3 at the tongue base and palatine tonsil hypertrophy Grade 3 at the oropharynx both showed significant overrepresentation, with adjusted residual values of 4.0 and 4.8, respectively. Complete tongue base obstruction showed a statistically significant association with LPR, with a strong predictive value in both univariate (β = 2.325, OR = 10.227, p = 0.007) and multivariate analyses (β = 2.295, OR = 9.921, p = 0.008).

Conclusions: The presence of LPR in nonobese OSA patients appears to be significantly associated with an increased likelihood of tongue base obstruction.

Level of evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 2025.