[Clinical applications of pharyngeal electroneurography].
Electroneurography of soft palate, Eustachian tube and pharynx was carried out in 60 normal adults and 187 patients. This test was performed on the 2-channel Schwarzer 2,000 electromyograph. The 2 cm long concentric needle electrodes were used for recording and were inserted into muscles of glossopalatinus, pharyngopalatinus, tensor veli palatini and levator veli palatini. Four cm long stimulating electrodes were used to stimulate the mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve and pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve. Stimuli of 100 voltage were delivered as rectangular pulses of 0.1-0.2 ms duration at a rate of 1-2 Hz. In normal subjects, the latency of the evoked wave induced from tensor veli palatini by stimulating the mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve was 1.8 +/- 0.6 ms. The latency of the evoked wave induced from levator veli palatini, glossopalatinus, pharyngopalatinus were 1.9 +/- 0.6, 2.0 +/- 0.4, 1.9 +/- 0.7 ms respectively. In 35 patients with paralysis of soft palate and pharynx, no evoked potential could be recorded in 18 cases, meaning complete nerve injury, latency delayed in 10 cases, indicating partial nerve injury, normal latency of evoked potential in 7 cases. One hundred and twenty-four cases of otitis media, 20 cases of myoclonus of soft palate and pharynx and 8 cases of cleft palate were also studied. Their electrogroms were normal. This technique may be used not only to measure nerve conductivity directly but also to make correct diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders of these structures without serious complications.
Tiang
Z M
ZM
General Hospital of Air Force, Beijing.
D004594:Electrophysiology; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*