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Speech problems
by yodalars, Dec 17, 2007 06:25AM
My wife (40) has problems speeking. It sounds as if her tongue is "stiff" and she has problems pronouncing the words correctly. This has happend very sudden. She has been checked for all kinds of things - but nothing has been found yet and most doctors say they've never seen anything like it before. She has been scanned in the brain and spinal cord with no result. She has not been bitten by any insect and has no other symptoms. Do you have any idea what this could be?
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I feel sorry that your wife has to go through all this.
There are several causes of speaking difficulty which needs to be ruled out like Vocal cord damage or
Throat damage (can be ruled out by examination and history). Transient ischemic attack or
Stroke (CT Scan will probably suggests the diagnosis) . Any space occupying lesions in brain compressing the speech center can cause such symptoms. Multiple sclerosis or Motor neuron disease should be ruled out.
One possibility which is highly likely is Guillain-Barre syndrome or Underactive thyroid gland.
Hope this helps.
Bye.
To comment your theories:
She has been examined in the throat and also the vocal cords - nothin unusual.
She has had a CT scan so no stroke and no MS, Motor neuron disease,
Transient ischemic attack and GBS - seems unlikely, since she has had this problem for the better part of 6 months now.
She has also been checked for Myasthenia Gravis - also negative for the antibodies that they checked for in the blood.
Underactive thyroid gland - does this seem likely, even when this is her only symptom?
Thank you
If this is the only symptom then it is unlikely that she might have underactive thyroid gland.
MR Angio can be done to rule out any thrombus formation or vascular abnormality. Does she have high lipids to look for any atherosclerotic plaque?
I would look into some more causes of difficulty in speech.
Keep me informed about her disease progression.
Bye.