title: Taste dysfunction in patients receiving radiotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Taste loss is a major cause of morbidity in patients undergoing head and neck irradiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, 51 patients undergoing radical head and neck irradiation at the Tokyo University Hospital were assessed for taste loss. Taste ability was measured by the taste threshold for the four basic tastes (sweet, sour, salt, and bitter qualities) plus another taste of "umami" quality using a filter-paper-disc method in patients before, during, and after radiotherapy (RT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All tastes declined on the fifth week after the start of RT and improved on the 11th week. Anatomic pathologic analyses in rats revealed that taste buds diminished completely on the sixth day after irradiation of 15 Gy in a single fraction, and the appearance of taste buds returned almost to the preirradiation state on the 28th day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main cause of taste disorder resulting from RT was believed to be a disappearance of taste buds and not damage to the taste nerves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1, Hongo, Tokyo, 113-8655 Japan. yamashitah-RAD@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hideomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tago
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kenshiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
authors.forename: Momoe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eda
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagamatsu
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Mayuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onimura
authors.forename: Kuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtomo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000528:radiation effects*