[Swallowing rehabilitation in two elderly patients with cerebral infarction]

We report two cases of cerebral infarction in which swallowing function improved following swallowing rehabilitation. Patient 1 was an 82-year-old man, who was admitted due to rheumatoid arthritis and multiple cerebral infarction, suffering from aspiration pneumonia. The abnormality of swallowing was assessed by the water swallowing test and videofluorography. It has been reported that videofluorography is useful in the diagnosis of aspiration. Three weeks after the start of swallowing rehabilitation, the serum level of inflammatory markers and the chest X-ray had returned to normal. His score on the water swallowing test had improved. Patient 2 was a 68-year-old [correction of 62] man, who was admitted with severe hemiplegia, dysphagia and dysarthria. One month after the swallowing rehabilitation, videofluorography showed that the magnitude of aspiration into the trachea had decreased and the pooling of barium in the piriform sinus had disappeared. The patient could begin taking a little food by mouth. These results suggest that swallowing rehabilitation will be affect the clinical improvement of swallowing function and help preventing aspiration pneumonia in our hospital.