Abstract
Recovery courses of dysphagia in eleven patients due to medullary infarction was reported. Ten patients were lateral (the Wallenberg syndrome) and the other was medial medullary infarction. We studied the clinical courses endoscopically and radiologically. In three cases patients recoverd sufficiently to take foods orally within a week, and six cases they were able to take soft foods within three to four months through rehabilitation. In two cases involving severe truncal ataxia, however, dysphagia persisted for more than six months, even with intense rehabilitation. The combined surgery of cricopharyngeal myotomy and laryngeal elevation improved the dysphagia in one of the two cases. In which the ataxia was diminished after one year's rehabilitation. In this case the recovery from dysphagia was associated with the improvement of the ataxia. In the other case only cricopharyngeal myotomy was performed, resulting in laryngectomy. In both cases the radiological examination showed that the cooperative movements in swallowing, such as pharyngeal constriction and laryngeal elevation had been disturbed by the medullary infarction. In conclusion, the progress of the recovery from dysphagia was affected by these factors and the presence of ataxia.
