J Korean Dysphagia Soc.  2019 Jul;9(2):93-98. 10.34160/jkds.2019.9.2.007.

Dysphagia as a Clinical Manifestation of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance: A Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, Korea. lafoliamd@gmail.com

Abstract

Swallowing can be affected by a variety of systemic diseases. The etiology of dysphagia in the geriatric population is usually overlooked due mainly to a presumed diagnosis of presbyphagia or difficulty in revealing the direct cause. On the other hand, dysphagia can be a meaningful clinical sign of premalignant systemic disease. A 78-year-old man, without any prior medical or family history, was admitted with the chief complaint of dysphagia with recent aspiration pneumonia. Instrumental swallowing tests revealed a severe degree of dysphagia due to decreased laryngopharyngeal sensation and weakness of the pharyngeal constrictor muscles. Extensive workup, including electromyography and laboratory tests, revealed severe sensorimotor peripheral polyneuropathy related to monoclonal gammopathy. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a premalignant precursor of multiple myeloma, which is characterized by the proliferation of monoclonal proteins. These conditions are often associated with peripheral polyneuropathy, ataxia, and sometimes even muscle weakness. Although dysphagia can occur in other systemic disorders, such as vasculitis or paraneoplastic syndrome-related malignancies, there are few reports of dysphagia related to MGUS. The patient was followed up for three years. The MGUS showed no further progression, but the patient showed no improvement, indicating a protracted clinical course and poor prognosis when dysphagia is related to MGUS.

Keyword

Deglutition disorders; Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance; Paraproteinemia

MeSH Terms

Aged
Ataxia
Deglutition
Deglutition Disorders*
Diagnosis
Electromyography
Hand
Humans
Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance*
Multiple Myeloma
Muscle Weakness
Muscles
Paraproteinemias*
Pneumonia, Aspiration
Polyneuropathies
Prognosis
Sensation
Vasculitis
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