The biomechanical characteristics of the pharynx in patients with aspiration after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the biomechanical characteristics of the pharynx in patients with aspiration after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods Clinical data on NPC patients with dysphagia admitted between July 2011 and June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.Twenty-three patients were found who had received videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSSs) and whose pharyngeal pressure and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) relaxing were tested using high-resolution solid-state manometry (HRM).The cases were divided into an aspiration group and a non-aspiration group according to the VFSS results.Differences in biomechanical parameters between the 2 groups when taking food of different viscosity were compared.Results Patients with aspiration had significantly higher UES residual pressure when taking thick liquids (20.1± 14.3 mmHg) and paste (18.0± 14.3 mmHg) than patients not aspirating (9.3±9.2 mmHg and 7.2±8.9 mmHg for thick liquid and paste respectively).But no significant difference in average pharyngeal pressure between the two groups was observed.Conclusion Aspiration after radiotherapy may be correlated with increased UES residual pressure.