Hypothesis: Changes of gustatory function after ear surgery have been studied extensively. However, little is known on the influence of repeated/chronic inflammation within the middle ear on taste.
Study design: Prospective study.
Materials and methods: Forty-six patients suffering from either cholesteatoma (n = 25) or chronic otitis media mesotympanalis (n = 21) received quantitative gustatory tests. None of these patients had been operated on before these investigations.
Results: Side by side comparison showed a significantly lower taste function on the anterior two thirds of the tongue ipsilateral to the site of inflammation, regardless of the diagnosis. Further analyses exhibited a trend toward greater impairment in relation to the severity of the inflammatory process.
Conclusion: These data are proof that taste function changes in relation to chronic middle ear diseases. It further shows that many of these alterations go unnoticed by the patients.