Taste Changes in Patients With Middle Ear Surgery by Intraoperative Manipulation of Chorda Tympani Nerve

The aim of study was to evaluate the subjective changes of taste and salivation after middle ear surgery according to chorda tympani nerve (CTN) injury.

Prospective cohort study.

Tertiary referral center.

We enrolled 180 patients older than 13 years old who received middle ear surgery.

The patients were classified into cut, manipulated, and intact groups according to intraoperative assessments of the CTN. The patients responded taste and salivation surveys preoperatively, and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively.

We analyzed results of questionnaires including disturbance rates, severity and character to evaluate taste and salivation functions.

Taste disturbance rate was significantly improved in all groups during follow-up (p < 0.05). The incidence of taste disturbance did not differ significantly between the three groups at each follow-up (p > 0.05). The taste disturbance score improved gradually in the cut and intact groups (p < 0.001), but not in the manipulated group (p = 0.067). Among the patients with taste disturbance, hypoguesia was most common symptom. Incidence of salivation disturbance did not differ between the three groups (p = 0.298). However, this symptom improved significantly only in the intact group (p < 0.001). The taste and salivation disturbance rate was not different between patients with and without chronic otitis media at 3 and 6 months, and both groups showed significant improvement.

Prevalence of taste and salivation disturbance was similar between three groups until 6 months. However, taste disturbance did not improve in the manipulated group and salivation disturbance improved only in the intact group.