STRUCTURAL MOBILITY IN DEGLUTITION AFTER SINGLE MODALITY TREATMENT OFHEAD AND NECK CARCINOMAS WITH RADIOTHERAPY

Background. The results of a preliminary study designed to evaluate sw allowing function in patients I year after successful treatment of hea d and neck carcinomas with radiotherapy are reported. Methods. Movemen t of the velum, hyoid, larynx, tongue base, and posterior pharyngeal w ail were objectively assessed by dynamic videofluoroscopy. Mean Values of each swallowing parameter measured from the study group were compa red with normative data from a group of 60 normal control subjects. Th e radiotherapy patient group was divided based on the location of the primary tumor in an attempt to correlate the effect of tumor location on swallowing. Results, Hyoid displacement was decreased in radiothera py patients and the hyoid elevated maximally independent of bolus size , unlike control subjects? in whom hyoid displacement increased with i ncreases in bolus size. Patients with tongue base tumors demonstrated decreased pharyngeal constriction compared with patients with larynx a nd pharynx/nasopharynx tumors. Conclusions. A generalized decrease in the mobility of pharyngeal structures is demonstrated after radiothera py. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.