Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease with vocal cord oedema treated with individualised homoeopathic medicine

Abstract

Introduction: The diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) is still ambiguous due to limited and cumbersome diagnostic standards. To achieve regression of both symptoms and laryngeal findings due to LPRD, it typically requires more vigorous and sustained treatment. In certain patients with chronic acid or non-acid reflux, surgery may be helpful. Case Summary: This is the case of a 68-year-old man who was diagnosed with LPRD and had vocal cord oedema. individualised homoeopathic medicine, Natrum sulphuricum, was prescribed, and the patient improved steadily in terms of signs and symptoms and had no further complaints at the end of 16 months. The patient’s improvement was assessed using the outcome related to the impact on daily living scale (ORIDL). Clinical improvement was correlated with objective evidence from the laryngoscopy report. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy score (+8 on the ‘−6 to +13’ scale) determines if the patient’s progress can be attributed to the homoeopathic treatment. This case report implies that homoeopathy may be an appropriate choice for treating LPRD with vocal cord oedema cases. This is the rare instance of a documented LPRD case report associated with vocal cord oedema followed by a successful therapeutic homoeopathic treatment. For further conclusion regarding the disease, more studies are warranted.