Pharyngeal sensory disorders often coexist with motor disorders, and those that occur alone are usually functional disorders, which can be classified as either central or peripheral in origin.

bubble_chart Etiology

Central causes are commonly seen in brain tumors, such as space-occupying lesions in the postcentral gyrus of the cerebral hemisphere, and can also be observed in encephalitis, glossopharyngeal nerve disorders, skull base fractures, or tumors injuring the glossopharyngeal nerve at the jugular foramen, leading to sensory disturbances.

bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations

Pharyngeal sensory impairment can be unilateral or bilateral and may occur simultaneously with motor dysfunction. When there is a complete loss of pharyngeal sensation, patients may unknowingly bite their buccal mucosa, and oral mucosa often becomes eroded. If there is concurrent loss of laryngeal sensation, food may be aspirated into the lungs. Central causes are often accompanied by dysphagia. During examination, when the posterior or lateral pharyngeal wall mucosa is touched with a tongue depressor or probe, the reflex is diminished or absent.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

Primarily targeting the treatment of disease causes. For central cases, internal medicine and neurology departments should collaborate in diagnosis and treatment. For patients with peripheral paralysis, anticholinesterase drugs, neurostimulants, and vitamin-based medications can be used, and acupuncture therapy may also be applied. For those with pharyngeal constrictor paralysis who cannot eat or are at risk of aspiration, a nasogastric tube should be inserted.