title: Self-perception of swallowing by patients with benign nonsurgical thyroid disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the frequency of swallowing complaints in patients with benign nonsurgical thyroid disease and compare the self-perception of swallowing disorder intensity between different types of thyroid disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample comprised 39 women aged 19-58 years (38.54 ± 10.74) with hypothyroidism (n=22; 56.4%) or thyroid nodules (n=17; 43.6%). Presence and type of swallowing complaint and self-perception of swallowing disorder intensity were investigated by means of self-ratings recorded on a 100-millimeter visual analog scale. The data were analyzed by descriptive measures and the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test was used to compare the self-perception of swallowing disorder intensity between both clinical diagnoses of thyroid disease. The level of 5% was adopted for statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six (66.7%) individuals reported the following swallowing complaints: pharyngolaryngeal stasis sensation (37.15%), chocking (34.29%), and odynophagia (28.57%). The mean value of self-perception of swallowing disorder intensity by the visual analog scale was 59.35 (± 27.38) millimeters. No difference in self-perception was reported between the clinical diagnoses of thyroid disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample, swallowing complaint was frequently observed in patients with benign nonsurgical thyroid disease. Moderate self-perception of swallowing disorder intensity was reported regardless of the clinical diagnosis of thyroid disease.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba - UFPB - João Pessoa (PB), Brasil.
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pernambuco
authors.affiliation: Clínica Pedro Cavalcanti - Natal (RN), Brasil.
authors.forename: Marlisson Pinheiro da
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Prefeitura Municipal de Boa Viagem - Boa Viagem (CE), Brasil.
authors.forename: Marluce Nascimento de
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Prefeitura Municipal de Tibau do Sul - Tibau do Sul (RN), Brasil.
authors.forename: Erika Beatriz de Morais
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN - Natal (RN), Brasil.
authors.forename: Lourdes Bernadete Rocha de
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003679:Deglutition; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult