Clinical applications of oro-pharyngo-oesophageal scintigraphy in the study of dysphagia.
The diagnostic approach to patients with dysphagia is well established and relies mainly on videofluoroscopy and endoscopy. Oro-pharyngo-oesophageal scintigraphy permits both a functional and a semi-quantitative study of the various stages of swallowing. Moreover, by means of this investigation, it is possible to estimate the amount of inhaled bolus. Oro-pharyngo-oesophageal scintigraphy with 99mTc-nanocolloid has been found to be easy to use, economical, well tolerated and, supplying precise indications regarding the extent of the swallowing disorder, then permits a better clinical definition of the patient. The limitations of swallowing scintigraphy are: poor definition in visualizing anatomic structures and low specificity when used as the only diagnostic test. Scintigraphy plays an important role in the diagnosis and follow-up of dysphagia, and its use, together with other diagnostic techniques, increases diagnostic accuracy. In this study, the role of oro-pharyngo-oesophageal scintigraphy has been analysed in patients with post-surgical, neurological and oesophageal dysphagia.
Fattori
B
B
Department of Neurosciences, Audiology and Phoniatric Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy. bfattori@ent.med.unipi.it
Grosso
M
M
Ursino
F
F
Matteucci
F
F
Mancini
V
V
Rizza
E
E
Mattone
V
V
Mariani
G
G
Nacci
A
A
D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods*