[Taste disorders].
OBJECTIVE
This review focuses on the present state of the question about taste disorders with reference to their associated factors, diagnostic methods, and potential effects.


BACKGROUND
Taste disorders may be induced by many drugs and are associated to a number of acute or chronic diseases. Patients may be asked about their taste complaints, and taste thresholds may be determined by electrogustometry or chemical gustometry. Taste impairment may provide a good indicator to the course of some diseases such as diabetes mellitus in which hypogeusia predicts occurrence of degenerative complications. Dysgeusia may induce nutritional disorders and contribute to wasting in chronic liver disease, cancer, or human immunodeficiency virus infected patients. Mechanisms involved in dysgeusia are more than one in a patient. Taste disturbance may be secondary to a variety of causes that include zinc deficiency, lesions of the lingual epithelium, neurological impairment, and a pharmacological effect.


CONCLUSIONS
A better understanding of the transduction mechanisms of the gustatory signal and the main pathogenic factors involved in dysgeusia may possibly improve the follow-up of the concerned patients notably in terms of nutritional status.
Kettaneh
A
A
Hôpital Jean-Verdier, UPRES EA 3409 de Recherche Clinique et Thérapeutique, faculté de médecine Léonard-de-Vinci université Paris-Nord, France. adrien.kettaneh@jvr.ap-hop-paris.fr
Fain
O
O
Stirnemann
J
J
Thomas
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000150:complications; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D013652:Taste Threshold; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency
D015032:Zinc