Swallowing impairment in neurologic disorders: the role of videofluorographic swallowing study

Patients with neurologic diseases almost inevitably develop various degrees of swallowing disorders during their life. Dysphagia is one of the main negative prognostic factors in this class of patients, leading to severe morbidity (i.e. aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition, and life quality deterioration) and to a noticeable increase in public health spending. Videofluorographic swallowing study is considered the gold standard technique for swallowing impairment assessment. It is aimed at early identification of the risk of aspiration, definition of the kind and grade of dysphagia, and an indication to suspend oral nutrition and adopt other feeding strategies, and define when the patient is able to return to physiological nutrition. Every radiologist should be familiar with the main videofluorographic swallowing features in neurological patients, not only because early diagnosis of deglutition disorders widely improves their prognosis, but also because customising feeding strategies has a great impact on patients’ quality of life.