[Hearing disorders, dysosmia and dysgensia in patients undergoing irradiation for head and neck cancer].
The study included 30 patients who underwent irradiation for head and neck cancer in the Regional Oncology Center. Cobalt 60 was used to irradiate facial--cervical area bilaterally and parotid glands partially. Before and after the irradiation, audiometric test, examination for osmaesthesia and sense of taste were performed.


METHODS
All patients underwent laryngologic examination. The sense of smell was estimated by using quantitative method (smell threshold test) and qualitative method (identificational test). Butyl alcohol with serial watery dilution from 0, 002 to 4 were used in the threshold tests. The identificational test relies on recognition of seven commonly known smells. The examination of taste was performed using the quantitative and qualitative methods. The assessment of taste threshold was made with electrogustometer. The organ of hearing was examined with tone audiometry.


RESULTS
Audiometric examination of the patients before irradiation revealed sensorineural hearing loss in 14 patients while 6 patients proved mixed hearing loss. After the irradiation, 50% of the patients showed further hearing loss in the range of 5-30 dB. After the irradiation, the percentage of patients with anosmia was elevated to 20%. Normosmic patients were not observed. The quantitative method of the sense of taste before and after irradiation did not show a significant difference. Only 10% of patients who underwent irradiation recognized 4 basic tastes, 30% of them did not show the sense of taste in the qualitative method.


CONCLUSIONS
1. After the irradiation, 50% of the patients developed further hearing loss. 2. Olfactometric examination of the patients after laryngectomy showed different degree of hyposmia. 3. The quantitative method of smell performed in patients before and after irradiation showed no significant differences. 4. Distinct deterioration of taste recognition was observed in the qualitative method compared to the examination before irradiation.
Olszewska
Ewa
E
Klinika Otolaryngologii AM w Białymstoku.
Chodynicki
Stanisław
S
Soroczyńska
Jolanta
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000528:radiation effects; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011044:Poland; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000209:etiology*
D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes