Immediate effectiveness of balloon dilatation therapy for patients with dysphagia due to cricopharyngeal dysfunction

Onogi K, Saitoh E, Kondo I, Ozeki M, Kagaya H. Immediate effectiveness of balloon dilatation therapy for patients with dysphagia due to cricopharyngeal dysfunction. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2014; 5: 87-92. Purpose: To determine the immediate effectiveness of balloon dilatation therapy for patients with dysphagia due to cricopharyngeal dysfunction on videofluoroscopy (VFSS). Methods: The subjects were 11 consecutively recruited patients with central nervous system disease who were suspected of having upper esophageal sphincter (UES) insufficiency based on the presence of a large amount of residue in the pharynx on VFSS. The amount of residue and the occipitofrontal diameter of the UES were measured before and after dilatation. Results: The mean amount of pharyngeal residue was significantly smaller after than before dilatation. However, no significant difference was seen in the occipitofrontal diameter of the upper esophagus after dilatation. When the subjects’ brain lesions were divided into brainstem and supratentorial lesions, the pharyngeal residue was significantly lower in patients with supratentorial lesions than in those with brainstem lesions. Conclusion: Balloon dilatation therapy immediately decreases the amount of pharyngeal residue in patients with dysphagia due to cricopharyngeal dysfunction.