Treatment of comorbid inducible laryngeal obstruction in bronchial asthma patients: does it help?

Introduction Inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) is a common comorbidity that goes undiagnosed in several difficult-to-treat bronchial asthma (BA) patients. Mostly, these individuals experience a delayed diagnosis for many years. This delay, simultaneously with the unsuccessful and unnecessary escalation of asthma medication, worsens patient morbidity and is accompanied by low quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of treating ILO on asthma control and severity in patients with comorbid BA. Patients and methods This pre/postinterventional study included 50 patients, 18 years and above, with a diagnosis of BA and ILO. Spirometry, vocal cord dysfunction questionnaire, assessment of BA control, assessment of BA severity, and laryngoscopic results were recorded pre and post-ILO treatment in addition to patients’ demographic data. Results A total of 11 patients refused ILO treatment, and the remaining 39 patients completed the study. The treatment of ILO patients has significantly improved the ILO grade ( P <0.001). Also, asthma severity and asthma control were significantly improved ( P <0.001 for all of them). Conclusion Treatment of comorbid ILO in BA patients improves asthma severity and level of control. This happened regardless of the severity of the ILO and spirometry findings