A case of dysphagia with acute onset due to polyneuritis cranialis is reported.
The patient was a 29-year-old female who had complained of dysphagia and hoarseness for approximately two weeks following common cold.
Clinical symptoms of dysphagia, right soft palate paralysis, right vocal cord paralysis and right accessorius cranial nerve paralysis commenced in two weeks after upper respiratory infection possibly by virus. Clinical diagnosis was made of dysphagia with sudden onset due to polyneuritis cranialis on the basis of the following findings:
1) The onset of symptoms (C2-3) was rather abrupt following upper respiratory infection.
2) The paralysis of right IX N. glossopharyngeus, X N. vagus and XI N. accessorius was present.
3) Initial clinical symptoms disappeared in 40 days under therapeutic regimen of Vitamin B1, B12, corticosteroid and antibiotic administration.
4) The paralysis of right VII N. facialis and XII N. hypoglossus occurred in 4 months after disappearance of initial symptoms.
5) The paralysis of VII N. facialis disappeared in 2 months under the same therapeutic regimen as applied for initial clinical symptoms. However, XII N. hypoglossus remains paralyzed.
