title: Wasted tongue in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders due to hypoglossal nerve involvement.
abstract: We report two cases of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with hypoglossal nerve involvement resulting in a wasted tongue associated with other brainstem symptoms of hypogeusia, hypersalivation, hiccough, increased sweating, hyperemesis and myelitis (in the second patient). This occurred due to involvement of the hypoglossal, tractus solitarius and dorsal vagal nuclei. Though the myelitis and other brainstem signs recovered the hypoglossal nerve involvement resulting in a unilateral wasted tongue did not. It is important to consider neuromyelitis optica and its spectrum disorders in the differential diagnosis of a wasted tongue though its occurrence is rare.
authors.affiliation: Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia shivenda70@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Shanthi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020437:Hypoglossal Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000150:complications*; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; hypoglossal nerve; wasted tongue