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Related Experiment Videos

Posttonsillectomy taste distortion: a significant complication.

Michael R Goins1, Dimitri Z Pitovski

  • 1Wake Forest University Smell and Taste Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.

The Laryngoscope
|July 6, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Tonsillectomy can cause taste distortion due to glossopharyngeal nerve injury. This rare complication, including ageusia and phantom tastes, significantly impacts quality of life and requires surgeon awareness.

Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Neuroscience
  • Gustatory Science

Background:

  • Tonsillectomy is a common surgical procedure.
  • Potential complications, including taste alterations, must be recognized by head and neck surgeons.
  • Taste distortion post-tonsillectomy is infrequently reported but impactful.

Observation:

  • A patient presented with taste distortion following a right tonsillectomy for unilateral tonsillar hypertrophy.
  • Gustatory function was assessed using electrogustometry and spatial taste testing on specific tongue regions.
  • Nerve innervation territories of the tongue, including the glossopharyngeal nerve, were evaluated.

Findings:

  • The patient experienced injury to the right lingual branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve.
  • This resulted in ageusia (loss of taste) in the posterior tongue, accompanied by contralateral phantogeusia (phantom taste) and dysgeusia.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Phantogeusia was transiently resolved with anesthetic application, suggesting a release-of-inhibition mechanism.

    • Implications:

    • Injury to the glossopharyngeal nerve during tonsillectomy can lead to significant taste disturbances.
    • Surgeons should be aware of the vulnerability of the glossopharyngeal nerve due to its proximity to the tonsil.
    • Understanding the pathophysiology of taste distortion is crucial for managing this complication and improving patient outcomes.