title: [Videofluorographic evaluation of dysphagia in a patient with myasthenia gravis].
abstract: A 64-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis (MG) presented with isolated bulbar symptoms. Two years earlier, she had developed neck weakness, diplopia, and ptosis and was diagnosed with MG. Extensive thymectomy was performed, and she was treated with predonisolone (PSL). The neck weakness, diplopia, and ptosis improved over a 2-year period. However, dysphagia developed, and her voice took on a nasal tone that did not improve subjectively even after administration of 10 mg of edrophonium chloride (EC). We then performed videofluorography (VF). After consumption of 10 ml of liquid barium and 8 g of corned beef hash, she attempted to swallow, but the residue remained in the valleculae and the piriform fossa. After the EC injection, her dysphagia on ingestion of corned beef hash improved; however, there was slight subjective improvement in swallowing. Drinking of liquid barium resulted in some residue with slight improvement of dysphagia. After treatment with 70 mg of PSL for 4 weeks, VF showed improvement of dysphagia. Thus, VF, particularly during consumption of solid food, with EC administration is helpful in evaluating bulbar symptoms in patients with MG.
authors: Department of Neurology, Musashi Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry.
authors: Yoshitsugu
authors: Y
authors: Aoki
authors: Toshiyuki
authors: T
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Katsuhisa
authors: K
authors: Ogata
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Oya
authors: Masafumi
authors: M
authors: Ogawa
authors: Miho
authors: M
authors: Murata
mesh_terms: D001464:Barium; D003679:Deglutition; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004491:Edrophonium; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications*; D014743:Videotape Recording
chemical_list: D001464:Barium; D004491:Edrophonium