Influence of chronic middle ear diseases on gustatory function: an electrogustometric study.
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.
Sano
Masaki
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan. neurootolsano@ybb.ne.jp
Ito
Ken
K
Suzukawa
Keigo
K
Kaga
Kimitaka
K
Yamasoba
Tatsuya
T
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