Mrs. Smith was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer 15 monthsago. She underwent
chemotherapy for several months before a bilateral mastectomy wasperformed. She then
completed six weeks of radiation therapy to the chest wall.Recently, she has been experiencing
the inability to manipulate the tongue during chewing andswallowing, as well as difficulty in
speech. Further investigation indicated that the left side of hertongue appeared to be paralyzed
when asked to protrude her tongue past her lips. An MRI wasperformed and revealed a lesion
present at the base of the skull that was affecting this particularcranial nerve.
question:
5.Ă‚Â Ă‚Â Based upon your knowledge of the action of thenerve in Case Study 5, describe how proper functioning of thisnerve is necessary for vocalization, food manipulation andswallowing.
