Abstract
The balloon dilatation method for cricopharyngeal dysfunction became known to rehabilitation area in 1992，but the precise procedure，indication and outcome was not reported．As for balloon catheter treatment，four methods（a to d）were applied according to the cricopharyngeal condition．We chose two types of balloon，a ball balloon（bardia Biocath foly catheter®，14～18Fr，Bard）and a cylinder balloon （Lunderquist Oumanesophageal Dilation Polyvinylchloride Baloon®，14～19Fr，Cook）a．lntermittent dilation method by ball balloon．b．Pull through method synchronized with swallowing or simple pull through method by ball balloon． c．Ball balloon swallowing method． d．Continuous dilatation method by cylinder balloon．We treated seventeen cricopharyngeal dysphagia patients using the above balloon catheter treatment methods．Of the seventeen patients，the cause of cricopharyngeal dysphagia was due to eleven brain stem infarction，three post operative subarachnoid hemorahge，one cervical injury and two from other causes．Nine patients showed successful rehabilitation using balloon methods and were able to eat oraly．Seven patients had a poor response to the ballon methods and required operation．We used also balloon methods on the post operative stricture of cricopharyngeal segment and the results were good．Balloon methods were useful for acute stage cricopharyngeal dysphagia，but were also good for the chronic stage．We also proposed the classification of cricopharyngeal dysphagia according to the findings from the videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing．
