Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 21 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Medicine

Non-acid reflux and reflux laryngitis: new perspectives on mechanism, diagnosis and treatment

  • Hongshan Chang1
  • Rui Sun1
  • Huan Qiu2
  • Yunhong Ning1
  • Lei Yao3
  1. 1First College of Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
  2. 2Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
  3. 3Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Non-acid reflux may serve as a potential contributing factor in the pathogenesis of reflux pharyngitis. Its plausible injury-related mechanisms may partly explain difficult-to-treat clinical presentations and contribute to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, with consequent impacts on patients' quality of life. Recently, the potentially significant role of non-acid reflux in refractory reflux pharyngitis has emerged as a prominent topic in this field, unveiling a novel pathophysiological mechanism that transcends the traditional gastric acid damage model. This underlying mechanism encompasses the independent and synergistic damaging effects of various active components, including bile acids, pancreatic enzymes, pepsin and gas reflux. It involves multiple pathways, such as intracellular reactivation, disruption of tight junctions, inflammatory cascade responses, and hypoxic injury. This article provides a narrative review discussing potential roles of non-acid reflux in the pathogenesis of reflux pharyngitis, focusing on elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms associated with each component of non-acid reflux, the advancements and limitations of current diagnostic techniques, and comprehensive intervention strategies. This review may hold potential clinical translational value for optimizing the hierarchical management of reflux pharyngitis and alleviating the symptom burden in refractory patients.

Related

  1. Mechanism-defined secondary hypertension enables precision diagnosis and treatment: an evidence review
    Arbind Kumar Choudhary, Anamitra Hait, Maheshkumar Baladaniya
    Frontiers in Cardiovascular MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textCardiovascular medicineCrossrefEurope PMCPMC
  2. Gastrolaryn® Stick Following Proton Pump Inhibitor Treatment in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Multicenter Real-World Observational Survey
    Giorgio Ciprandi, Ignazio La Mantia, Attilio Varricchio
    Journal of Clinical MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0General medicineCrossref
  3. Herpes Simplex Virus Laryngitis Presenting as Airway Obstruction
    Jyoti Samant, Charitha Karanam Ramapathy, Binay Kshetree +2
    Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical CasesPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEpidemiology & public healthDOAJ
  4. Implementability of Point‐of‐Care Ultrasound for Paediatric Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Resource‐Constrained Settings: Experiences and Perspectives From Uganda
    Julia van den Brink, Martien Humblet, Emmanuel Nasinghe +6
    Tropical Medicine & International HealthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Full textGeneral medicinePMC
  5. Post-Treatment Surveillance to Detect Recurrent Disease in Esophagogastric Cancer: A Review of Current Practice and Future Perspectives
    Nicola B. Raftery, Mark P. Ward, Claire L. Donohoe +2
    Journal of clinical medicinePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{chang2026nonacid,
  title = {{Non-acid reflux and reflux laryngitis: new perspectives on mechanism, diagnosis and treatment}},
  author = {Hongshan Chang and Rui Sun and Huan Qiu and Yunhong Ning and Lei Yao},
  journal = {Frontiers in Medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fmed.2026.1949945},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1949945},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Non-acid reflux and reflux laryngitis: new perspectives on mechanism, diagnosis and treatment
AU  - Hongshan Chang
AU  - Rui Sun
AU  - Huan Qiu
AU  - Yunhong Ning
AU  - Lei Yao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/12
JO  - Frontiers in Medicine
DO  - 10.3389/fmed.2026.1949945
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1949945
AB  - Non-acid reflux may serve as a potential contributing factor in the pathogenesis of reflux pharyngitis. Its plausible injury-related mechanisms may partly explain difficult-to-treat clinical presentations and contribute to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, with consequent impacts on patients' quality of life. Recently, the potentially significant role of non-acid reflux in refractory reflux pharyngitis has emerged as a prominent topic in this field, unveiling a novel pathophysiological mechanism that transcends the traditional gastric acid damage model. This underlying mechanism encompasses the independent and synergistic damaging effects of various active components, including bile acids, pancreatic enzymes, pepsin and gas reflux. It involves multiple pathways, such as intracellular reactivation, disruption of tight junctions, inflammatory cascade responses, and hypoxic injury. This article provides a narrative review discussing potential roles of non-acid reflux in the pathogenesis of reflux pharyngitis, focusing on elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms associated with each component of non-acid reflux, the advancements and limitations of current diagnostic techniques, and comprehensive intervention strategies. This review may hold potential clinical translational value for optimizing the hierarchical management of reflux pharyngitis and alleviating the symptom burden in refractory patients.
SN  - 2296-858X
ER  -