Introduction:

dysphagia is a swallowing disorder that is usually neglected by health professionals, especially neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia, which can produce various symptoms, signs and secondary complications in patients.

Objective:

to perform a clinical characterization, including perception of dysphagia symptoms, in patients with neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia of neurological and neuromuscular causes in Antioquia, Colombia between 2019 and 2021.

Methodology:

cross-sectional study conducted in 80 patients with neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia confirmed through the Eating Assessment Tool-10, clinical assessment and/ or video fluoroscopy results of swallowing.

Results:

71 patients presented central neurological causes. Cerebrovascular disease and Parkinson’s disease were the most frequent etiologies. Only 18% of patients with neurological causes and 33% with neuromuscular causes reported tolerance to all food consistencies. Median of 16 points in terms of self-perception of dysphagia symptoms using the Eating Assessment Tool-10, with higher scores in patients with gastrostomy, a history of pneumonia, odynophagia, and abnormal mandibular occlusion on physical examination. In patients with neurological causes, there was a greater presence of lingual motor signs and orofacial apraxia.

Conclusion:

there are clinical characteristics such as a sensation of stuck food, difficulty swallowing solid foods, coughing, and choking when swallowing, which are useful in recognizing cases of oropharyngeal dysphagia, and support that this generates more symptoms than signs on physical examination in patients with neurological and neuromuscular conditions.

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