A Case Report: A Patient of Nasogastric Tube Syndrome Presenting with Vocal Fold Paresis

Abstract

Nasogastric tube syndrome (NGTS) is a rare syndrome that causes abduction dysfunction in both vocal folds after gastric tube insertion, and the clinical condition is poorly understood. We herein report a case of NGTS treated with larynx electromyography. An 89-year-old woman suddenly presented with stridor and dysphagia during medical treatment for ileus. Although the patient had a history of left vocal fold palsy of the paramedian position after aortic surgery, the right vocal fold was located medially and slightly dysfunctional, and the bilateral arytenoid regions were swollen on flexible larynx endoscopy. Because of the high glottic stenosis, emergency tracheostomy was performed. Two days later, the right vocal fold began to gradually move, and this motion improved substantially one week later. Therefore, she was diag-nosed with NGTS. Larynx electromyography reduced the interference pattern in the right thyroarytenoid mus-cle. Neuroparalysis was also suggested as a pathosis of NGTS.