Outcome of an outpatient specialty clinic for chronic epipharyngitis.

Objective: In Japan, chronic epipharyngitis became a subject of interest in the 1960s and is currently garnering renewed attention. Previous studies have focused only on the similarities between the immunological characteristics of the tonsil and epipharynx and reported the efficacy of epipharyngeal abrasive therapy (EAT) in patients with IgA nephropathy. However, endoscopic findings of chronic epipharyngitis have not yet been fully evaluated, and. this study aimed to elucidate those findings.

Methods: The study period was from November 2016 to October 2017. Two hundred and twelve new patients visited the specialty outpatient clinic for EAT. Age distribution and mean age of patients, sex, chief complaint, diagnosis at other departments and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed based on medical records. Band-limited light endoscopy was performed, and the findings were videotaped in 102 of the 212 new patients, who underwent endoscopic EAT for the first time.

Results: The study included 32 men and 70 women with a mean age of 46.0 years (range, 22-83 years). The most common complaint was postnasal drip (42 patients), followed by pharyngeal pain (12 patients), and throat discomfort (11 patients). The outcomes of 74 patients who continued treatment until the last session were; complete cure in 48.6% of cases, marked improvement in 21.6%, improvement in 16.2%, and no change in 13.5%. Band-limited light endoscopic findings included black spots (73%), granular changes (76%), vessel truncations (92%), crust/mucus adhesion (54%), adenoidal hypertrophy (31%) and tonsil cysts (7%). With regard to the appearance of the mucous membranes, 48% patients had an ivory-like-colored mucous membrane, 72% had a green vascular network, and 89% had a dark red to reddish-brown appearance. Six to nine months' EAT remarkably improved their symptoms with resolution of the endoscopic findings in 86% of the patients.

Conclusion: Nasal endoscopy using band-limited light is useful for diagnosis and management of chronic epipharyngitis. We believe that this study not only provides information to help the diagnosis of chronic epipharyngitis but also contributes to treat sick patients suffering from chronic epipharyngitis.