Confocal microscopy of the Peripheral Gustatory System: Comparison between Healthy Subjects and Patients Suffering from Taste Disorders during Radiochemotherapy

Abstract

In conclusion, in RCT patients with taste disorders, LSM indicates changes of epithelia of fungiform papilla but no changes of the taste bud structure. Damage of the chorda tympani nerve by scattered rays, direct or indirect mucotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents, and covering of taste pores by epithelial cells are likely reasons for taste loss during RCT.

A systematic review of dysgeusia induced by cancer therapies

“…The results indicated that epithelial changes in the fungiform papilla (but not in the taste bud structure) were predictive of dysgeusia [18].…”

“Taste Strips” – A rapid, lateralized, gustatory bedside identification test based on impregnated filter papers

“…The shelf life is much longer than that of liquid solutions. Although this test has already resulted in a series of publications [14,22,34,36,39] and was proven reliable concerning the investigation of tongue side differences [21,29] and gustatory testing before and after an intervention [30,37], the initially proposed test procedure had some shortcomings. First, the paper by Mueller et al [36] was based on solely 69 observations.…”

Degeneration Process of Fungiform Taste Buds After Severing the Human Chorda Tympani Nerve—Observation by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

“…If FPs are biopsied, it becomes impossible to observe the same FP. In this context, confocal laser microscopy has made it possible to observe the human taste buds noninvasively and in vivo (7,8). Furthermore, a marked advantage of confocal laser microscopy is that the same FP can be observed repeatedly.…”

“…In another study, no taste pore was detectable in patients with taste disorders during radiochemotherapy. In deeper sections, however, taste buds were present (8). Thus, the taste pore and taste bud structures could be visualized in vivo by confocal laser scanning microscopy.…”