Clinical Characteristics of the Cervical Inlet Patch: A Case Series

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to characterize the symptoms and outcomes of patients with a symptomatic cervical inlet patch (CIP). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary care laryngology clinic in Charlottesville, Virginia. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of the patient's demographics, comorbidities, prior workup, interventions, and response to treatment was performed. All patients received flexible nasolaryngoscopy and barium swallow study. The analysis was descriptive. RESULTS: Eight patients (6 female) were followed for the management of symptoms related to CIP. The mean age at presentation to our clinic was 64.9 (standard deviation = 15.7). Five out of 8 patients presented with a chief complaint of dysphagia, and the remaining 3 with chronic coughs. Five out of 8 patients demonstrated findings of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) including vocal fold edema, mucosal erythema, or postcricoid edema. Swallow study demonstrated hiatal hernia in 3 of 8 patients, and cricopharyngeal (CP) dysfunction (CP hypertrophy, CP bar, and Zenker's diverticulum) in 3 of 8 patients. One patient presented with a history of Barrett's esophagus. Treatment included increased acid suppression therapy and management of coexisting esophageal pathologies. Ablative procedures were performed in 5 out of 8 cases, with 2 patients requiring repeat procedures. All patients experience subjective symptom improvement. CONCLUSION: CIP tends to present in complex patients with multifactorial dysphagia, with the most common symptoms being dysphagia and cough. Clinical features of CIP overlap with other more common pathologies encountered by otolaryngologists including LPR and CP dysfunction, and future prospective studies in larger populations should seek to clarify these associations.