Taste dysfunction in vestibular schwannomas

Abstract

Taste dysfunction is common following vestibular schwannoma surgery. Patient counseling prior to surgery is necessary to avoid any distress caused by taste dysfunction. Taste dysfunction should be included in the facial nerve functional grading system while assessing outcome.

Trigeminal Sensory Neuropathy Predicts Chemosensory Dysfunction After Skull Base Surgery

“…The findings in patients with meningioma and patients with VS were consistent with previous literature and their anatomic relevance. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19] As in the case of ITN, the chronic impact of vascular pressure on the trigeminal nerve may result in lasting nerve injury, especially for the maxillary branch that connects to the nasal mucosa and interacts profoundly with olfactory function. 25 The poor olfactory outcome was supported by 1 study showing decreased olfactory function after ITN procedures.…”

“…Hence, taste function may be impaired. [15][16][17][18][19] The intranasal trigeminal sensation is conveyed by the ophthalmic (V1) and maxillary nerves (V2) while intraoral trigeminal sensations are due to activation of the mandibular nerve (V3). Therefore, procedures dealing with meningiomas, ITN,and VS may also affect trigeminal chemosensations.…”

Vestibular Schwannoma Presenting as Oral Dysgeusia: An Easily Missed Diagnosis

“…In 2.2–17% of patients the facial nerve is affected, due to the close anatomical relationship of the facial nerve to the vestibulocochlear nerve in the region of the cerebellopontine angle [ 9 , 11 , 15 ]. Pressure on the motor fibres can lead to facial weakness; and involvement of the sensory branch, the nervus intermedius which receives special sensory taste information from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, via the chorda tympani, can have an impact on taste [ 15 , 16 ]. There are a number of studies reporting facial numbness as the presenting feature of a vestibular schwannoma [ 7 , 8 , 12 ].…”

“…When the facial nerve is compressed by the tumour, taste disturbances appear earlier than facial palsy. This is because sensory nerves are more sensitive to compression than motor fibres [ 16 ]. A study by Watanabe et al [ 17 ] found that preoperative taste disturbances were found in 28.7% of patients undergoing surgery for a vestibular schwannoma.…”

“…A study by Watanabe et al [ 17 ] found that preoperative taste disturbances were found in 28.7% of patients undergoing surgery for a vestibular schwannoma. Another study by Sahu et al [ 16 ] tested 142 patients with vestibular schwannoma and found taste disturbances present in 40.8% of patients preoperatively. Matthies and Samii [ 15 ] found that taste disturbances were only reported in 1.8% of 1000 patients diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma, although they did not formally test this and assumed that the actual incidence would be higher.…”