Sonographic assessment of swallowing in irradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

Abstract

Objectives/HypothesisUltrasonography is an emerging clinical tool to study the dysfunction of swallowing muscles. This was the first sonographic study to assess the relationship between suprahyoid muscle contraction, hyoid bone displacement, and penetration‐aspiration status (PAS) during swallowing in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with radiotherapy (RT). The study also aimed to establish reliability data for the sonographic technique described.Study DesignCross‐sectional study.MethodsGeniohyoid muscle contraction was quantified using brightness‐mode ultrasonography in this study of 40 post‐RT NPC patients. A series of physiological parameters and PAS were measured using videofluoroscopy.ResultsIntra‐ and inter‐rater agreement values ranged from 0.75 to 0.96 across various sonographic measurements. Percentage increase in the cross‐sectional area of the geniohyoid muscle correlated with anterior (r = 0.42, P < .05) but not superior (r = 0.27, P = .09) hyoid displacement. Anterior hyoid displacement and pharyngeal constriction ratio were significantly associated with PAS score.ConclusionsSonographic measurement of suprahyoid muscles provides valuable information on muscle function and is potentially a useful clinical tool in swallowing assessment. Further research is needed to refine the role of this examination in dysphagia.Level of Evidence2b. Laryngoscope, 2552–2559, 2018