Taste Changes after Atresioplasty in Patients with Congenital Aural Atresia

We evaluated chorda tympani nerve (CTN) and postoperative taste dysfunction according to anomaly severity and intraoperative CTN status.

Prospective observational study.

Tertiary referral center, Samsung medical center hospital.

Thirty-one patients who underwent atresioplasty by a single surgeon in a tertiary referral center were enrolled.

Therapeutic surgery.

Preoperative Schuknecht type and Jahrsdoerfer score and intraoperative CTN status were recorded, and a postoperative questionnaire was administered to evaluate taste function.

A significant difference was found among intact, cut, and unidentified groups in terms of Schuknecht type ( p = 0.000) and Jahrsdoerfer score (9.28 ± 1.11, 8.80 ± 0.83, 8.10 ± 0.93, p = 0.028). CTN was observed in Schuknecht type B, and not in type C ( p = 0.000), and was more likely to be observed as Jahrsdoerfer score increased ( p = 0.012). Taste disturbance tended to last longer in adult patients than in children. A significant difference was observed in the incidence of taste change between cut and intact CTN groups ( p = 0.018).

CTN was not identified during surgery in patients with Schuknecht type C anomalies, and there was no change in taste after surgery. Meanwhile, CTN was observed in all patients with Schuknecht type B anomalies, and CTN injury occurred in 41.67%. Therefore, CTN presence can be predicted by severity of anomaly, and patients with type B anomalies should be informed of the risk of CTN injury before surgery.