1/4. Secretory function of the salivary gland in patients with taste disorders or xerostomia: correlation with zinc deficiency.A notable proportion of patients with taste disorders complain of xerostomia and when zinc is prescribed the xerostomia is often improved in conjunction with the taste disorder. To study the relationship between taste disorders, zinc deficiency and xerostomia, we measured salivary gland function and zinc levels in 93 patients with hypogeusia and/or xerostomia and 60 patients with unilateral acute peripheral facial palsy who served as controls. We then prescribed zinc for patients with low serum zinc levels and evaluated xerostomia and taste sensation after 6 months of this treatment. The salivary gland secretory ratio (SGSR), determined by dynamic salivary 99mTc scintigraphy, was found to be an objective measure of salivary gland function and was reduced in patients with xerostomia. patients with salivary gland dysfunction also had abnormal morphology of the papillae of the tongue. No significant relation was found between the severity of taste disorders and SGSR values, but low SGSR values were found in patients with zinc deficiency. patients with taste disorders and/or xerostomia who were treated with zinc had relief of symptoms at 6 months, indicating that both taste disorders and xerostomia are among the symptoms of zinc deficiency.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = hypogeusia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/4. Olfactory and gustatory disturbances caused by digitalism: a case report.It is known that an overdose of digoxin causes visual disturbance, but the effect on the senses of smell and taste is not known. A case of olfactory and gustatory disturbance caused by digitalism is reported. In a 62-year-old male patient suffering from chronic digitalism, the serum digoxin level rose to 6.0 ng/ml. The patient was diagnosed not only with visual disturbance but also hyposmia and hypogeusia. The patient recovered from visual and chemosensory disturbances after the serum digoxin concentration returned to normal. Because the similarity of intracellular signal transduction between photoreceptor cells and olfactory and/or taste receptor cells is known, it is suspected that the influence of digoxin to chemosensory organs was caused by intermediation of sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) of the chemosensory receptor cells.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = hypogeusia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/4. Olfactory sarcoidosis. Report of five cases and review of the literature.Changes in the olfactory system in five patients with sarcoidosis were studied by clinical and histopathological examination. Every patient studied had hypogeusia and/or hyposmia as measured by psychophysical testing. In two patients who died with this disease, the olfactory bulbs and tracts were involved by granulomatous infiltration. Two other patients showed granulomas and chronic inflammation in nasal biopsy specimens. The fifth patient was studied only clinically. Changes in olfactory and gustatory acuity are rarely searched for in patients with sarcoidosis, but they may be important indicators of major and later irreversible damage to the CNS. If diminished olfaction is established in suspect patients, nasal biopsy and examination of the CNS should be performed to confirm the presence of active sarcoidosis. Appropriate therapy may prevent damage to the patient's sensory capabilities and CNS function.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = hypogeusia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/4. Hypoplasia of the nose and eyes, hyposmia, hypogeusia, and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism in two males.Two males, 9-11 and 29-31 years of age, with severe hypoplasia of the nose, hypoplasia of the eyes, sensory abnormalities of taste and smell, and hypogonadism were studied. The nasal septum, cribriform plates and foramina of the vomeronasal (vn) nerves were demonstrated in both; the capsule of the vn organ was shown in one. Their nasal skeleton, demonstrated by tomoradiography, had grown in early embryological form. The nose was not patent in either patient. In both, the cranial vaults, orbits, epipharynges, and oral cavities were indented toward the hypoplastic nasal composite and the peripheral dimensions of their faces were normal for their respective ages. Each patient had impaired visual function with cataracts and colobomata. Each was unable to recognize the smell of any vapor (Type I hyposmia), and had severe impairment of recognition of any tastant (recognition hypogeusia); detection of vapors and of tastants were in appropriate anatomical areas. Each was unable orally to recognize standard plastic forms (astereognosis) though each could recognize the forms manually. Each patient had bilateral inguinal hernias, one or two undescended testes, and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. These patients do not fall within the spectrum of arrhinencephaly because of the presence of medial structure of attachment of the falx cerebri and because of their normal intelligence. Distinction of patients with this pattern of abnormalities from arrhinencephaly is important by reason of their potentiality of normal mental development. We hypothesize that their abnormalities resulted from an embryological disruption that occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy. The embryogenesis of the nasal composite is presumed to have been adequate for reciprocal induction of the anlagen of the forebrain. Development of their faces to normal peripheral dimensions indicates that the nasal composite is not essential for gross facial enlargement.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = hypogeusia (Clic here for more details about this article) |