Cases of Taste Disorder and Halitosis Successfully Treated with Hochuekkito / 日本東洋医学雑誌

The number of patients with taste disorder and halitosis has recently increased in Japan. Some of these patients have no abnormalities identified in blood tests and no apparent dental problems, so they are diagnosed with unidentified complaints. In this paper, we report 2 patients who were diagnosed with psychogenic taste disorder and pseudohalitosis. Kampo medical examination found their symptoms to be related to qi deficiency. They were prescribed 5g of hochuekkito extract per day, and their symptoms were relieved. These results suggest that hochuekkito is effective against unidentified complaints such as psychogenic taste disorder and pseudohalitosis.

A Case of Ipsilateral Hemiageusia Following Right Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction

Taste disorder is not rare in patients with acute stroke is not usually evaluated. There is also controversy about central gustatory pathways. We report one case of ipsilateral hemiaguesia induced by a right middle cerebral artery infarction. A right-handed 70-year-old woman presented with headache. She had a history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The systemic examination revealed no abnormalities. Neurologic examination revealed left side hemispatial neglect and right side hemiageusia. Brain MRI showed high signal intensity in the right middle cerebral artery territory including the temporal lobe and parietal lobe with sparing insular cortex on T2 and diffusion weighted image (DWI). This case is suggestive of the existence of an uncrossed ascending gustatory pathway, explaining the ipsilateral hemiageusia above the midbrain lesion.

The Effects of Kampo Formulas Containing Saiko (Bupleuri Radix) on Idiopathic Taste Disorder / 日本東洋医学雑誌

The authors report an interesting case of idiopathic taste disorder that was successfully treated with the Kampo formula Saikokeishi-to. A 45-year-old male went to a local hospital for an examination when he became awate of a decrease in his ability to taste. His serum zinc levels were within the normal range. Examination by the otorhinolaryngologist did not reveal any abnormalities other than the taste disorder. Zinc sulfate and mecobalamin were administered for three months with no improvement in his ability to taste.<br>The patient came to the authors' department in March 1995. Upon examination it was determined that he was of the Intermediate Sho according to Kampo diagnosis. The Kampo classic, the ‘Shokanron’ (Discussion of Cold-Induced Disorders), recommends Saikokeishi-to in cases of taste abnormalities. He began to show improvement in his ability to taste during the 3rd week of administration of this formula (7.5g/day). By the 12th week he had recovered his sense of taste.<br>It is thought that Kampo therapy restores the sense of taste indirectly by improving the overall condition of the health. This report and past reports suggest the potential for broader application of Kampo formulas containing Saiko in the treatment of idiopathic taste disorders.