Abstract
We report on a case whose dysphagia was significantly improved with swallowing rehabilitation using head rotation.
The patient was a 68-year-old woman who had severe dysphasia after an operation for a right carotid body tumor. Videofluoroscopic studies of her swallowing showed a dysfunction of the right inferior constrictor of the pharynx, disorders in the contraction of the thyropharyngeal muscle, and a relaxation of the cricopharyngeal muscle.
Swallowing rehabilitation of head rotation for the troubled side was applied for the dysphagia, and the degree of misswallowing decreased remarkably.
In videofluoroscopic studies after this treatment, the dysfunction of the pharyngeal inferior constrictor improved. Now the patient can eat anything without head rotation.
Her misswallowing was probably caused by palsy of the pharyngeal branch of the right vagus nerve, and this palsy was probably caused by a compression of the nerve during her carotid body tumor operation.
