UNLABELLED The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate chronic dysphagia (lasting 3 or more months) following treatment for head and neck cancer. Since dysphagia is a common sequela post therapy in cancer survivors, it may be helpful for the clinician to be aware of the persistence of dysphagia as well as its usual severity. Modified Barium Swallow (MBS) examinations were performed in can...

Bulbar weakness and fatigue resulting in dysphagia and dysarthria is common in myasthenia gravis. In chronic MG it is often assumed that these symptoms herald an exacerbation of the patient's disease and doses of cholinergic agents and immunomodulatory therapies may be increased, along with initiation of plasma exchange. A case is presented in which dysphagia was refractory to standard MG thera...

Plummer Vinson syndrome is a rare association of postcricoid dysphagia, upper esophageal webs, and iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency state has been hypothesized to play an etiological role. While literature review elucidates the resolution of dysphagia in most cases with iron therapy, we discuss our case where the dysphagia was resistant to such therapy and necessitated a mechanical dilat...

BACKGROUND Many patients with advanced malignant dysphagia are not suitable for definitive treatment. The best option for palliation of dysphagia varies between patients. This paper looks at a simple technique for enhancing laser recanalisation. AIM To assess the value of adjunctive brachytherapy in prolonging palliation of malignant dysphagia by endoscopic laser therapy. PATIENTS Twenty tw...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in patients suffering from dysphagia following treatment for head and neck cancer. In a prospective, double blinded, randomized case control study between January 2006 and December 2007, 14 patients were randomized to 30min of NMES and 30min of traditional swallowing training for 5 days per week ...

Here, we describe balloon catheter dilation at the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) in three sporadic inclusion body myositis (s-IBM) patients with dysphagia. Initially, we performed IVIg therapy, and, three months later, switched to balloon dilation therapy. A 12-Fr balloon catheter was inserted from the mouth under fluoroscopy and the balloon inflated at the UES. The catheter was pulled back ...

OBJECTIVE To investigate functional and physiological changes in swallowing performance of adults with chronic dysphagia after an exercise-based dysphagia therapy. DESIGN Intervention study: before-after trial with 3-month follow-up evaluation. SETTING Outpatient clinic within a tertiary care academic health science center. PARTICIPANTS Adults (N=9) with chronic (>12 mo) dysphagia after u...

Dysphagia is extremely common following stroke, affecting 13%-94% of acute stroke sufferers. It is associated with respiratory complications, increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, nutritional compromise and dehydration, and detracts from quality of life. While many stroke survivors experience a rapid return to normal swallowing function, this does not always happen. Current dysphagia treatmen...

AIM Dysphagia is a known complication in Pompe Disease (PD), a severe metabolic myopathy due to alpha-glucosidase deficiency. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa is the only approved therapy for PD. Presently no data are available on the effects of ERT on dysphagia in PD patients. The aim of this work is to evaluate the course of this complication in a 6 years old boy affec...