Severe gustatory disorder caused by cisplatin and etoposide.
A 48-year-old woman with small-cell lung cancer received combined chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (Vp-16). Although the gustatory threshold in the glossopharyngeal nerve area was normal (14 dB) before chemotherapy, it rose to 22 dB on day 8 of chemotherapy, and it could not be measured, because of severe gustatory disorder, from day 15 to day 29. In the chorda tympani nerve area, the threshold was normal until day 15, but it could not be measured on day 29. This gustatory disorder continued for 2 more months, until the time of the patient's discharge. Although gustatory disorder caused by anticancer drugs has been reported as a rare side effect, this may be because it has been reported as appetite loss, and it may happen more frequently than reported cases would suggest. As gustatory disorder reduces the patient's quality of life, the presence of this side effect should be given more serious consideration.
Minakata
Yoshiaki
Y
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan. minakaty@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Yamagata
Toshiyuki
T
Nakanishi
Hirotaka
H
Nishimoto
Takeshi
T
Nakanishi
Masanori
M
Mune
Masatoshi
M
Yukawa
Susumu
S
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013652:Taste Threshold
D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin