J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2000 Aug;24(4):684-690.

Swallowing Difficulties in Polio Survivors

• Lee KA
• Hwang JH
• Lee CK

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
In patients with a history of acute paralytic poliomyelitis, late progressive muscle weakness, fatigue, pain may arise, a symptom complex of known as post-poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS). Dysphagia may also develop in some PPS patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of is swallowing difficulty in polio survivors and to describe the nature of the swallowing difficulty. METHOD: Polio survivors answered the questionnaire pertaining to swallowing function and received a videofluroscopic evaluation of the oral and pharyngeal phases using 3 consistencies of material: liquid barium; semisolid barium paste; boiled yolk of an egg coated with barium.
RESULTS
Of the 16 subjects, 8 had subjective symptoms of swallowing difficulties. All of the 6 PPS patients, regardless of whether they had symptoms of swallowing difficulties, had some abnormal oropharyngeal function through video fluoroscopic swallowing study.
CONCLUSION
In patients with post-polio syndrome, there is progressive deterioration of swallowing functions similar to that in the muscles of the limbs. This swallowing dysfunction is not related with their subjective symptoms.

Keyword

Post-poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS); Swallowing difficulty; Video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS)

MeSH Terms

Barium
Deglutition Disorders
Deglutition*
Extremities
Fatigue
Humans
Muscle Weakness
Muscles
Ovum
Poliomyelitis*
Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome
Surveys and Questionnaires
Survivors*
Barium