PubMed · 15933535
Gustatory function in chronic inflammatory middle ear diseases.
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS: Changes of gustatory function after ear surgery have been studied extensively. However, little is known on the influence of repeated/chronic inflammation within the middle ear on taste. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients suffering from either cholesteatoma (n = 25) or chronic otitis media mesotympanalis (n = 21) received quantitative gustatory tests. None of these patients had been operated on before these investigations. RESULTS: Side by side comparison showed a significantly lower taste function on the anterior two thirds of the tongue ipsilateral to the site of inflammation, regardless of the diagnosis. Further analyses exhibited a trend toward greater impairment in relation to the severity of the inflammatory process. CONCLUSION: These data are proof that taste function changes in relation to chronic middle ear diseases. It further shows that many of these alterations go unnoticed by the patients.
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B N Landis, D Beutner, J Frasnelli, K B Hüttenbrink, T Hummel. 2005. Gustatory function in chronic inflammatory middle ear diseases.. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mlg.0000163750.72441.c3
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