Treatment of Multiple System Atrophy with Dysphagia (Difficulty Swallowing)
Dysphagia — difficulty swallowing — is a major axial symptom in multiple system atrophy that shapes clinical decision-making and carries significant implications for patient outcomes.
Dysphagia is one of the major axial symptoms in patients with multiple system atrophy and is associated with a high risk of mortality. It often occurs considerably earlier in the disease course than in patients with Parkinson disease, making prompt clinical assessment important.
In patients with severe swallowing difficulty and an elevated risk of aspiration and nutritional compromise, an interventional approach to long-term nutritional support may be considered — the full protocol details, including patient selection and clinical decision points, are available via the link below.
References
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is one of the major axial symptoms in patients with multiple system atrophy associated with a high risk of mortality, which often occurs much earlier than in patients with Parkinson disease.
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement may be considered in patients with severe dysphagia and a high risk of aspiration and malnutrition, although there is no evidence that percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy improves survival or quality of life.
DOI: 10.1212/cont.0000000000001598View source ↗