Objective: To determine the prevalence and phases of dysphagia in inflammatory myositis.
Method: We surveyed 106 patients diagnosed with inflammatory myositis by rheumatologist. After applying exclusion criteria, 64 patients were studied. We performed chart review and questionnaire survey for current feeding status, underlying diseases, the prevalence and phases of dysphagia. Questionnaire was composed of 11 different questions, 7 for the evaluation of oral phase and 4 for pharyngeal phase.
Results: There were 25 males and 39 females, and the average age was 45.1+/-15.9 years. The average age when diagnosed was 41.4+/-14.8 years. The proportion of dysphagia at onset was 50%; 34.4% in oral phase and 43.8% in pharyngeal phase. There was no significant difference between dermatomyositis and polymyositis regarding the proportion. The most common cause of dysphagia in oral phase was dry mouth (28.1%), and the second common causes were opening of mouth (12.5%), chewing (12.5%), and residual material in mouth (12.5%). The most common cause in pharyngeal phase was pharyngeal muscle weakness (35.9%), and the second common cause was choking sign indicating aspiration (29.7%).
Conclusion: With the high proportion of dysphagia in inflammatory myositis, we should pay more attention to dysphagia, because we need to do swallowing training in these patients.
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