Oropharyngeal Dysphagia according to the Location of Damage in Patients with Stroke

Background: One of the common side effects of stroke is oropharyngeal dysphagia, or difficulty in transferring bolus from the mouth to the stomach; the prevalence of this disorder can vary according to the supply location. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia according to the damage location in patients with stroke at Ayatollah Rouhani hospital in Babol City, Iran. Methods: In this retrospective study, 1179 patients with stroke were studied for total dysphagia, gender, and injury location (cortical and subcortical). Data were analyzed using independent t and chi-square tests via SPSS software. Results: Of all patients with stroke (men: 48.36% and women: 51.64%), 31.20% had dysphagia. 33.5% of men and 29.4% of women with stroke suffering from this disorder had oropharyngeal dysphagia. The prevalence of dysphagia was not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.050). However, there was a significant difference between the prevalence of dysphagia based on the injury location (29.8% of cortical and 44.3% subcortical cases) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Oropharyngeal dysphagia is more prevalent in subcortical stroke. But, cortical stroke has a much higher incidence and, despite lesser occurrence of dysphagia, patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia need early assessment and intervention of neurologists and dysphagia rehabilitation team.