ABSTRACT
Resumen Los trastornos del gusto constituyen un grupo de alteraciones relativamente frecuentes en la práctica clínica. Son de etiología diversa, pudiendo afectar la vía gustativa en distintos niveles, manifestándose, clínicamente, con alteraciones cuantitativas y/o cualitativas de la sensibilidad gustativa. En gran parte de los casos se puede lograr un diagnóstico etiológico con una anamnesis adecuada, examen físico y exploraciones complementarias básicas. No obstante, existe poco entendimiento de su patogénesis, así como limitadas opciones terapéuticas, lo que implica la falta de algoritmos de diagnóstico y tratamiento completamente validados. El objetivo de la presente revisión es otorgar una actualización y un abordaje práctico de los trastornos del gusto.
Abstract Taste disorders represent a group of alterations relatively frequent in clinical practice. They have a diverse etiology, and they can affect the gustatory pathway at different levels, clinically manifesting with quantitative/qualitative alterations on taste sensitivity. In most of cases it is possibly to achieve an etiologically diagnosis with appropriate anamnesis, physical exploration, and basic complementary tests. However, their pathogenesis is not well understood, and they have limited therapeutic options, which determines a lack of well-validated diagnosis and treatment algorithms. The objective of this review is to provide and update and a practical approach to taste disorders.
Subject(s)
Humans , Taste Disorders/classification , Taste Disorders/diagnosis , Taste Disorders/etiology , Taste Disorders/therapy , Burning Mouth Syndrome , Ageusia , DysgeusiaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether taste thresholds, as determined by electrogustometry (EGM) and chemical taste tests, differ by age and the severity of facial palsy in patients with Bell's palsy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study included 29 patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy between January 2014 and May 2015 in our hospital. Patients were assorted into age groups and by severity of facial palsy, as determined by House-Brackmann Scale, and their taste thresholds were assessed by EGM and chemical taste tests. RESULTS: EGM showed that taste thresholds at four locations on the tongue and one location on the central soft palate, 1 cm from the palatine uvula, were significantly higher in Bell's palsy patients than in controls (p0.05). The severity of facial palsy did not affect taste thresholds, as determined by both EGM and chemical taste tests (p>0.05). The overall mean electrical taste thresholds on EGM were higher in younger Bell's palsy patients than in healthy subjects, with the difference at the back-right area of the tongue differing significantly (p0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Electrical taste thresholds were higher in Bell's palsy patients than in controls. These differences were observed in younger, but not in older, individuals.