Videofluoroscopic evaluation of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome

We reviewed 14 patients with clinically confirmed Guillain-Barré syndrome for swallowing dysfunction. All had swallowing dysfunction varying from mild to severe. Six patients (43%) had equivalent impairment during oral and pharyngeal phases. Seven patients (50%) had more severe functional abnormalities during the pharyngeal phase than during the oral phase. One patient (7%) had moderate disorder during the oral phase and mild disorder during the pharyngeal phase. Thirty-six percent of the patients had moderate-to-severe dysfunction during the oral phase, and 71% had moderate-to-severe dysfunction during the pharyngeal phase. In 5 patients who had multiple sequential examinations, moderate or severe swallowing disorders improved to mild-to-moderate disorders within 4-8 weeks after the onset of the symptoms. Residual swallowing disorders may be seen in those who had severe swallowing dysfunction during the later phases of their disease. Further investigations are needed to determine if swallowing abnormalities persist after complete recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome.