Fonoaudiology Findings in a Case of Multiple Sclerosis Associated with Trigeminal Neuralgia

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and progressive disease of probable autoimmune origin. Patients with this disease may also have trigeminal neuralgia whose pain is described as “throbbing” and paroxysmal short.

Objectives: To verify the findings of speech therapy in a patient with MS.

Summary: A 46-year-old male was diagnosed in 2004 with secondary progressive MS and trigeminal neuralgia, and referred to the Fonoaudiology team linked to a stage of a federal university in January 2014. The main complaints of the patient were choking with liquid and small solids (grain ), difficulty in chewing with occluded lips, and pain in the right mandibular region. In the clinical evaluation of swallowing there was decreased cough reflex and impaired mobility of the lips, jaw, and cheeks to the left. In addition, the evaluation with food is identified in the liquid consistency decreased elevation of the larynx, choking after swallowing, and cough. To complement the clinical findings there is a need for the examination of videofluoroscopy on January 17, 2014. In this exam other changes were identified in swallowing: premature posterior oropharynx to escape, stasis of food in valleculae (bleaching after multiple swallows), and laryngeal penetration with liquid.

Conclusion: There were changes in chewing and swallowing. The pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia underlines the difficulties identified in the feeding process. The results of clinical and instrumental swallowing evaluation will allow a more targeted and specific language intervention for the case, providing a better quality of life for the patient.

Keywords: Fonoaudiology, multiple sclerosis, trigeminal neuralgia, swallowing, dysphagia.