Tsewang Donka Bhutia1, Tshering Dolkar2
BACKGROUND
Globus Pharyngeus, previously known as Globus hystericus, is a persistent or
intermittent non-painful sensation of a lump or foreign body in the throat of
indeterminate origin. It is a commonly encountered clinical condition seen in ear,
nose and throat Outpatient Department (ENT OPD). It is usually long-lasting,
difficult to treat and has a tendency to recur. It is a common disorder and
constitutes about 4 - 5 % of all new ENT referrals with a slight female
preponderance. Sikkim is second smallest state in India with a total population of
6.1 lakhs. It is a mountainous region with subtropical climate. Central Referral
Hospital is the only Medical College in the state and takes care of the patients from
all over the state. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of globus
pharyngeus among patients attending ENT OPD.
METHODS
This was a descriptive cross-sectional study done in the ENT Outpatient
Department (OPD) of Central Referral Hospital, Gangtok, Sikkim among patients
attending directly or referred from the government health sectors with complaints
of globus symptoms in the throat. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel 16.4 version
and used for statistical purposes.
RESULTS
The total burden of the disease was found to be 0.6 % with 73.77 % of the
patients with globus positive for H. pylori infection and 36 % of them positive for
laryngopharyngeal reflex (LPR).
CONCLUSIONS
The number of globus cases found in this study (0.6 %) was comparatively less
as compared to various studies done globally (4 - 5 %). The low number of cases
determined in this study may be due to the bias of selection of the study population
from the only available private tertiary care centre in the state.
