Over-diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux as the cause of hoarseness.

The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the percentage of patients seen in a private laryngology clinic with voice-related disorders previously diagnosed with and treated for laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR); (2) to determine how many of those patients are found to have disorders other than LPR as a cause for their voice disorder. A retrospective, chart-review analysis of new patients was conducted from January 2005 through December 2007 in a private laryngology clinic setting. Patients with a previous diagnosis of LPR as the cause of hoarseness, with or without anti-reflux treatment were included.