Zheng Wen-Kai, Inokuchi Akira, Yamamoto Tomoya, Komiyama Sohtaro
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi. 2002 Apr;93(4):64-76.
Taste disorders caused by radiation therapy for head and neck cancer are common. This prospective study of 40 patients with head and neck cancer assessed changes in taste sensations during radiation therapy. The relationship between the time course and the degree of taste disorder was studied. The taste recognition threshold and supra-threshold taste intensity performance for the four basic tastes were measured using the whole-mouth taste method before, during, and after radiation therapy. Bitter taste was affected most. An increase in threshold for sweet taste depended upon whether the tip of tongue was included within the radiation field. The slope of the taste intensity performance did not change during or after radiotherapy. The pattern of salivary dysfunction was different from that of taste dysfunction. The main cause of taste disorders during radiation support the hypothesis that taste dysfunction is due to damage to the taste buds in the radiation field.
头颈部癌放射治疗引起的味觉障碍很常见。这项对40名头颈部癌患者的前瞻性研究评估了放射治疗期间味觉的变化。研究了时间进程与味觉障碍程度之间的关系。在放射治疗前、期间和之后，使用全口味觉方法测量了四种基本味觉的味觉识别阈值和阈上味觉强度表现。苦味受影响最大。甜味阈值的增加取决于舌前部是否包含在放射野内。味觉强度表现的斜率在放疗期间或之后没有变化。唾液功能障碍的模式与味觉功能障碍不同。放射治疗期间味觉障碍的主要原因支持味觉功能障碍是由于放射野内味蕾受损的假说。
