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Fandler S, Gattringer T, Pinter D, Pirpamer L, Borsodi F, Eppinger S, Niederkorn K, Enzinger C, Fazekas F. Dysphagia in supratentorial recent small subcortical infarcts results from bilateral pyramidal tract damage. Int J Stroke 2018; 13:815-819. [DOI: 10.1177/1747493018778141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background Dysphagia occurs in up to 20% of patients with a recent small subcortical infarct, even when excluding brainstem infarcts. Aim To examine the impact of lesion topography and concomitant cerebrovascular lesions on the occurrence of dysphagia in patients with a single supratentorial recent small subcortical infarct. Methods We retrospectively identified all inpatients with magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed supratentorial recent small subcortical infarcts over a five-year period. Dysphagia was determined by speech-language therapists. Recent small subcortical infarcts were compiled into a standard brain model and compared using lesion probability maps. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging scans were reviewed for the combination of both acute and old cerebrovascular lesions. Results A total of 243 patients with a recent small subcortical infarct were identified (mean age 67.9 ± 12.2 years). Of those, 29 had mild and 18 moderate-to-severe dysphagia. Lesion probability maps suggested no recent small subcortical infarct location favoring the occurrence of moderate-to-severe dysphagia. However, patients with moderate-to-severe dysphagia more frequently showed combined damage to both pyramidal tracts by the recent small subcortical infarct and a contralateral old lesion (lacune: 77.8% vs. 19.9%, p < 0.001; lacune or confluent white matter hyperintensities: 100% vs. 57.7%, p < 0.001) than patients without swallowing dysfunction. Comparable results were obtained when analyzing patients with any degree of dysphagia. Conclusions Preexisting contralateral vascular pyramidal tract lesions are closely related to the occurrence of moderate-to-severe dysphagia in patients with supratentorial recent small subcortical infarcts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Fandler
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Daniela Pinter
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Lukas Pirpamer
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Florian Borsodi
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Kurt Niederkorn
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christian Enzinger
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Franz Fazekas
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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