Tapia Syndrome

Excerpt

Tapia syndrome was first described by Spanish otorhinolaryngologist Antonio Garcia Tapia in 1904 as a lesion outside the central nervous system causing neurological signs and symptoms. Nowadays, it is recognized as a rare complication of airway manipulation, with less than 100 cases described in the literature. The syndrome is characterized by unilateral paralysis of the tongue and vocal cord, manifesting as dysphonia, tongue deviation, and swallowing difficulty. Although there is an increased propensity with specific procedures, Tapia syndrome can technically occur with any surgery requiring general anesthesia and orotracheal intubation.