Food intake by maneuver; an extreme compensation for impaired swallowing.

We report two young patients able to exist on exclusively oral intake despite an absent pharyngeal swallow response. Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies showed that both patients used a sequence of devised maneuvers rather than a coordinated pharyngeal swallow to move the bolus, protect the airway, and open the upper esophageal sphincter during bolus ingestion. We conclude that it is possible for young, highly motivated individuals to maintain oral intake despite ablation of neurologic elements crucial for the normal swallow response.