Disorders of the Sense of Taste Disorders of the sense of taste are caused by conditions that interfere with the access of the tastant to the receptor cells in the taste bud (transport loss), injure receptor cells (sensory loss), or damage gustatory afferent nerves and central gustatory pathways (neural loss) (Table 30-2). Transport gustatory losses result from xerostomia due to many causes, including Sjögren's syndrome, radiation therapy, heavy-metal intoxication, and bacterial colonization of the taste pore. Sensory gustatory losses are caused by inflammatory and degenerative diseases in the oral cavity; a vast number of drugs, particularly those that interfere with cell. | Chapter 030. Disorders of Smell Taste and Hearing Part 5 Disorders of the Sense of Taste Disorders of the sense of taste are caused by conditions that interfere with the access of the tastant to the receptor cells in the taste bud transport loss injure receptor cells sensory loss or damage gustatory afferent nerves and central gustatory pathways neural loss Table 30-2 . Transport gustatory losses result from xerostomia due to many causes including Sjogren s syndrome radiation therapy heavy-metal intoxication and bacterial colonization of the taste pore. Sensory gustatory losses are caused by inflammatory and degenerative diseases in the oral cavity a vast number of drugs particularly those that interfere with cell turnover such as antithyroid and antineoplastic agents radiation therapy to the oral cavity and pharynx viral infections endocrine disorders neoplasms and aging. Neural gustatory losses occur with neoplasms trauma and surgical procedures in which the gustatory afferents are injured. Taste buds degenerate when their gustatory afferents are transected but remain when their somatosensory afferents are severed. Patients with renal disease have increased thresholds for sweet and sour tastes which resolves with dialysis. Table 30-2 Causes of Gustatory Dysfunction Transport Gustatory Losses Neural Gustatory Losses Drugs Diabetes mellitus Heavy-metal intoxication Hypothyroidism Radiation therapy Oral neoplasms Sjögren s syndrome Oral surgery Xerostomia Sensory Gustatory Losses Aging Candidiasis Drugs antithyroid and antineoplastic Endocrine disorders Oral neoplasms Pemphigus Radiation therapy Viral infections especially with herpes viruses Radiation therapy Renal disease Stroke and other CNS disorders Trauma Upper respiratory tract .
