Buccal mucosal cancer patient who failed to recover taste acuity after partial oral cavity irradiation.
OBJECTIVE
We report a patient who suffered from prolonged loss of taste acuity after partial oral cavity irradiation.


METHODS
The electric taste threshold (ETT) of each point in the oral cavity was measured with an electric gustometer to evaluate quantitative local taste acuity. A subjective total taste acuity (STTA) scale was used to evaluate subjective total taste acuity.


METHODS
A 61-year-old male patient with right buccal mucosal cancer underwent radiation therapy more than 11 years ago, and has suffered from loss of taste acuity since then. He received electron beam irradiation to part of the oral cavity and right upper neck, mainly the right buccal mucosa near the retromolar trigone and a metastatic right submandibular node. He did not receive irradiation to the anterior portion of the tongue or left side of the posterior portion of the tongue. His ETT scores for each point were equal to or greater than 26, and his STTA score was grade 3.


CONCLUSIONS
The present case implies that radiation damage to part of the oral cavity can cause the loss of subjective total taste acuity.
Saito
Tsutomu
T
Department of Radiology, Nihon University Surugadai Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Miyake
Masahiko
M
Kawamori
Jiro
J
Fukushima
Shoko
S
Furuhashi
Satoru
S
Yoshinobu
Takashi
T
Takahashi
Motoichiro
M
Tanaka
Yoshiaki
Y
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*