Clinical Investigations in Patients with Taste Disorder

Lim, Geun Hye; Shin, Seung Heon; Ye, Mi Kyung

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Taste disorders have not received sufficient attention by otolaryngologists and only a few studies have documented the clinical characteristics of taste disorders. We therefore analyzed the characteristics of patients with taste disorders who visited our Taste and Smell Clinic over a 3-year period.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Sixty patients with taste disorders were investigated. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated according to the age, sex, duration of symptom, cause, and severity of taste disorder.
RESULTS
Sixty percent of patients visited the clinic within 6 months of the onset of decrease in taste sensation. Multiple etiology was more common than single etiology. Taste disorder due to olfactory disorder was the most frequent etiology, followed by drug induced taste disorder and taste disorder due to zinc deficiency. Sixty percent of the patients experienced improvement of the taste abnormality. The efficacy of treatment decreased with increasing severity of taste disorder at the initial visit.
CONCLUSION
Careful history taking and physical examination are needed for determination of the cause of any taste abnormality. The site and severity of dysgeusia should be determined through the chemical and electrical taste threshold test. Treatment should direct toward the causative abnormality, if possible.