Year: 2026 | Month: May | Volume: 16 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 39-43
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260505
Profiling a Case of Wallenberg Syndrome: An SLP’s Perspective
Soumya Goel1, Vijayasri R2, Pooja Rajesh2, Nihal Muneer3, Ravi Patel4
1Student of M.Sc. Speech Language Pathology, Department of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology, Amity University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
2Student of Bachelors of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Department of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology, Amity University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
3Speech and Swallow Pathologist, Kent Healthcare LLC, Dubai, UAE
4Assistant Professor (Speech Language Pathology), Department of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology, Amity University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
Corresponding Author: Soumya Goel
ABSTRACT
Wallenberg syndrome, a lateral medullary infarction commonly resulting from occlusion of the vertebral artery or Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (PICA), is characterised by complex swallowing, voice, and sensory deficits due to the involvement of brainstem. This case report outlines the speech-language pathology management of a 58-year-old female with right lateral medullary syndrome. She presented with severe oropharyngeal dysphagia, hypernasality, hoarseness, and cranial nerve impairments. Initial assessment revealed presence of aspiration and pyriform sinus pooling, while language was preserved but oral motor function was impaired. The patient received 12 sessions of 45-minutes each (6 days/week), with targeted interventions that showed marked recovery. Post-therapy assessment revealed safe oral intake, no aspiration, normalized oxygen saturation, improved voice quality with better glottic closure, and reduced hypernasality. Nasogastric tube removal enabled full oral feeding independence. The findings highlighted the value of early, multidisciplinary speech language pathologist driven rehabilitation in dysphagia associated with lateral medullary syndrome, addressing a gap in India-specific evidence.
Key words: Wallenberg syndrome, dysphagia, voice therapy, NMES, lateral medullary infarction