Clinical Study of 10 Cases of the Vagus Nerve Paralysis

Abstract

The vagus nerve is one of the 12 cranial nerves, which is considered as the 10 nerve. The vagus nerve extended from the medulla oblongata to the second segment of the transverse colon. This nerve innervates the majority of the muscle of the pharynx, soft palate and larynx. In cases of vagus nerve paralysis, palatal arch movement is restricted. The arches cannot move up and back in order to close off the nasopharynx. This causes hoarseness, nasal speech, aspiration and regurgitation of liquid through the nose. In this article, we report 10 cases of the vagus nerve paralysis. The patient’ mean age is 59 .4(range 34-83). There were 5 male and 5 female patients, among which there were 6 cases of right and 4 cases of left side paralysis. In six cases the chief complaint was vocal disorders. The causes included 5 cases of Varicella-Zoster virus infection(all confirmed)and 4 cases of central paralysis. In 9 cases of the 10 patients, nasopharyngeal incompetence, elevation or constriction of the paralyzed side and saliva pooling in the pyriform sinus were observed. In 4 cases of the 10 cases, the vagus nerve paralysis improved after treatment within 6 months. In cases of vagus nerve paralysis immediate and accurate diagnosis and treatment are crucial. It is important to observe the palatal arches as they contract and the soft palatal as it swings up and back in order to close off the nasopharynx.