title: Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in Myasthenia gravis: A study in Turkish patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Myasthenia gravis (MG) is commonly viewed as a muscle disorder. Less is known about neurosensory function and dysfunction in MG. We aim to evaluate olfactory and gustatory behavior in Turkish patients with MG, and compare these results with age and sex-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 individuals with MG, and 30 healthy volunteers were studied. Olfactory function was studied with the Sniffin' sticks test. Taste strip test was used for studying taste function. The t-test was used for analyzing continuous variables, and the chi-square test for categorical data. Clinical staging and medication status were included in a model analyzed using analysis of variances.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MG patients showed significantly lower olfactory (p<0.001) and gustatory scores (p<0.001) than the healthy controls. In addition, olfactory loss correlated with the severity of the disease. Medications for MG did not influence these results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study replicates the olfactory dysfunction found elsewhere in MG. Further, gustatory dysfunction, an activity unrelated to muscle strength, was also unveiled. Medications used for treating MG must not be blamed for the chemosensory dysfunction found in this neurological disorder.
authors.affiliation: GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Department of Neurology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tekeli
authors.affiliation: GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Department of Neurology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Senol
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Surgery Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aytug
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altundag
authors.affiliation: Koru Hospitals, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yalcınkaya
authors.affiliation: GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Department of Neurology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kendirli
authors.affiliation: Ankara Mevki Military Hospital, Department of Neurology, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: yasarhalit@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yaşar
authors.affiliation: GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salihoglu
authors.affiliation: Kasımpasa Military Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Saglam
authors.affiliation: Amasya Training And Research Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Amasya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Melih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cayonu
authors.affiliation: Diyarbakır Military Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cesmeci
authors.affiliation: Technical University of Dresden, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell and Taste Clinic, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Acetylcholine; Gustatory function; Myasthenia gravis; Neurodegenerative disease; Olfactory function