title: Influence of chronic middle ear diseases on gustatory function: an electrogustometric study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to quantitatively determine whether middle ear inflammation associated with unilateral chronic otitis media (COM), cholesteatoma, or otosclerosis affects gustatory function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients had unilateral COM (22 men, 20 women; mean age, 54.2 yr), 57 had unilateral cholesteatoma (35 men, 22 women; mean age, 42.1 yr), and 19 had unilateral otosclerosis (10 men, 9 women; mean age, 49.3 yr).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent taste testing using electrogustometry (EGM) and sensation thresholds were compared in the affected and unaffected ears among groups and between affected and unaffected ears in each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with COM and cholesteatoma exhibited an increase in taste threshold in the affected ears compared to the unaffected ears (p < 0.05), whereas otosclerosis patients did not. The extent of the increase of the sensation thresholds in the affected ears was very similar between patients with COM and those with cholesteatoma (p = 0.548).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our EGM study showed that cholesteatoma and chronic middle ear inflammation affected gustatory function to a similar degree.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan. neurootolsano@ybb.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Keigo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzukawa
authors.forename: Kimitaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaga
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamasoba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004056:Differential Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery