PURPOSE: To describe the main findings of fiberoptic endoscopy of swallowing in adults with neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out using 46 medical records of patients with diagnosis of neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia, assisted in the period from July 2004 to December 2007 at the Dysphagia Ambulatory of the University of Fortaleza. The average age of the patients was 58.9 years, ranging between 18 and 85 years; 51.1% (22/43) were male and 48.9% (22/46) female. The exams were considered altered in the presence of one or more of the following dysphagic manifestations: premature spillage, delayed swallowing, residues in vallecules and/or pyriform recess, laryngeal penetration and/or tracheal aspiration. RESULTS: The main findings observed, in descending occurrence order, were: presence of residues in vallecules for pasty thick consistency, delay in swallowing during pasty thick and solid consistencies ingestion, presence of residues in pyriform recesses after the swallowing of pasty fine consistency, premature spillage for liquids, laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration for liquids before swallowing. CONCLUSION: The main dysphagic manifestations observed were related to alterations in the volunteer phases of deglutition and to the increase of the food consistencies. The fiberoptic endoscopy of swallowing proved to be an effective tool for the diagnosis of oropharyngeal dysphagias.
Deglutition; Dysphagia; Endoscopy; Endoscopy; Deglutition disorders
