RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Left vocal cord paralysis and dysphagia in mitral valve disease.
JF British Heart Journal
JO Heart
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society
SP 470
OP 473
DO 10.1136/hrt.43.4.470
VO 43
IS 4
A1 A A Morgan
A1 A J Mourant
YR 1980
UL http://heart.bmj.com/content/43/4/470.abstract
AB Two cases of severe mitral stenosis with both hoarseness, caused by left vocal cord palsy, and dysphagia are described. This combination in the same patient has not, to our knowledge, been previously described. Previous studies have firmly established that vocal cord paralysis in mitral stenosis is a result of compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve as it passes around the aortic arch. It is suggested that dysphagia may also develop as a result of neurological damage, in this case to autonomic nerve plexuses supplying the oesophagus, leading to abnormal peristalsis and enabling external compression by a tense left atrium sufficient to cause symptoms