{
  "abstract": "Introduction Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction (ILO) is an inappropriate adduction of the vocal folds is frequently misdiagnosed as asthma due to symptom similarity. The current standard assessment tool for ILO is laryngoscopy.In our airways service, as part of routine care, patients complete symptom questionnaires to assist in the differential diagnosis. However, with overlapping symptoms and patient awareness, there is uncertainty as to the value of questionnaires in predicting a diagnosis of ILO. Previous research has suggested symptom questionnaires lack such sensitivity.Aim To assess the relationship between questionnaires and laryngoscopy-confirmed ILO diagnosis in referred patients.Methods Data from our contemporaneous database was preliminarily analysed for 165 referred patients with symptoms of breathlessness over a 16-month period (November 2023-March 2025). Responses on the following questionnaires were compared with the outcome of the ILO assessment: Vocal Cord Dysfunction Questionnaire (VCDQ), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Newcastle-Laryngeal Hypersensitivity (N-LHS) and Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ).Patient demographic data and other comorbidities were also compared with outcome of laryngoscopy.Results On laryngoscopy assessment, 68 (41%) patients were diagnosed with ILO via laryngoscopy, whereas 97 (59%) were not diagnosed with ILO following video-laryngoscopy.Comparison of total questionnaire scores between ILO and non-ILO groups showed no significant differences: VCDQ (U=1610.5; p=0.3541); VAS (U=2200.5; p=0.4411); N-LHS (U=2058; p=0.5360); LCQ (U=1610.5; p=0.3541).Demographic data showed no difference between these groups on age. There were more females than males in the ILO group, but this was not a significant difference (χ2=2.89; df=1; p= 0.089). Asthma was significantly more common in the ILO group ((χ2= 4.58; df=1; p=0.032). There were no differences between groups for other comorbidities including reflux, rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnoea.Conclusions There were no significant differences between the ILO and non-ILO groups on the assessment questionnaire scores in a population of adults referred to a tertiary centre for assessment. Preliminary analysis of this data indicates that symptom scores alone cannot predict a diagnosis of ILO. Such tools may guide clinical discussion or raise suspicion of ILO, acting as a prompt to refer for assessment with laryngoscopy.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Preston, UK"
      ],
      "name": "C Slinger"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Preston, UK"
      ],
      "name": "H Lever"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Preston, UK"
      ],
      "name": "B Tidmarsh"
    }
  ],
  "title": "M26 Are symptom questionnaires a useful tool in the assessment of inducible laryngeal obstruction",
  "uid": "a455eba7-334f-5db6-864a-3edc86aefae3"
}