Role of ultrasound in evaluation of pharyngeal dysphagia in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical reliability of ultrasound (US) examination using relative laryngeal movement of 40% as a cutoff point to diagnose pharyngeal abnormalities of swallowing using ultrasonographic examination in dysphagic cerebral palsy (CP) patients and comparing its results with a flexible fiberoptic endoscope. Methods Twenty-five cerebral palsy children suffering from clinical dysphagia were included in this study. The rest distance between the thyroid cartilage and the hyoid bone and the shortest distance between them during swallowing were measured by ultrasound, then the approximation distance and the percentage of relative laryngeal movement were calculated. All children also have been submitted for flexible fiberoptic endoscopy (FEES). Results The mean value of the percentage of relative laryngeal movement was significantly less in the CP children with pharyngeal phase abnormality diagnosed by the flexible fiberoptic endoscope (p < 0.001). The mean of relative laryngeal movement in CP patients with and without pharyngeal abnormality diagnosed by the flexible fiberoptic endoscope was 20.10 ± 13.73 and 66.19% ± 3.42 respectively. Conclusion Ultrasound can efficiently measure the relative laryngeal movement, and as it gives a numerical value, it can be used as a follow-up bedside test in children suffering from dysphagia.

Keywords

• Ultrasound (US)
• Cerebral palsy (CP)