Abstract
Background: Limited data exist regarding myopathies with early or prominent dysphagia. Methods: A retrospective study was performed (January 2003 to August 2019) to identify myopathy patients in whom dysphagia was the initial symptom or was disproportionately severe compared with limb weakness. Results: Thirty-two patients were identified. The median age at diagnosis was 65 y (range, 36–80 y). Inclusion body myositis (IBM) (n = 15), immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) (n = 5), and oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (n = 4), were the most common diagnoses. In 4 patients (3 IMNM and 1 nonspecific myositis) dysphagia evolved rapidly. At evaluation, 21 patients required diet alterations, 5 required feeding tubes, and 8 had aspiration pneumonia. Follow-up data were available for 20 patients (median, 24 mo). Eight patients received immunosuppressive therapies with improvement in 7, including 3 of 4 with rapidly progressive dysphagia. Conclusions: IBM and IMNM accounted for approximately two-thirds of patients with early or prominent dysphagia at our institution. Rapidly progressive dysphagia may predict immunotherapy responsiveness.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 344-350 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Muscle and Nerve |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2020 |
Keywords
- dysphagia
- inclusion body myositis
- muscular dystrophy
- myopathy
- myositis
- videofluoroscopy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physiology
- Clinical Neurology
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Physiology (medical)