title: Delayed post-irradiation bulbar palsy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: In a hospital series of 70 patients on follow-up after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 14 patients (20%) developed delayed post-irradiation bulbar palsy 1 to 18 years after radiotherapy (mean 5.5 years). Functional disability was moderate to severe. Three patients had aspiration pneumonia with one mortality. Post-irradiation bulbar palsy was a common complication and probably resulted from direct neuronal damage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Umapathi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D010244:Bulbar Palsy, Progressive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013997:Time Factors