TONGUE PARESTHESIA AND DYSGEUSIA FOLLOWING OPERATIVE MICROLARYNGOSCOPY

Belachew Tessema, MD; Lucian Sulica, MD; Guo-Pei Yu, MD, MPH; Roy B. Sessions, MD
Objectives: This study was performed to assess the overall incidence and duration of alterations in tongue sensation andtaste after operative microlaryngoscopy, and the relation of these symptoms to operative time.Methods: We performed a retrospective review of information regarding tongue symptoms in patients who completedstandard post-microlaryngoscopy follow-up at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months.Results: One hundred patients (54 male and 46 female; mean age, 46 years; age range, 14 to 83 years) met the inclusioncriteria. Eighteen patients had positive findings at 1 week: 15 complained of paresthesia and 3 of dysgeusia. The symptomsdecreased over time without treatment (4% of patients at 1 month and 1% of patients at 3 months). Only 1 case ofdysgeusia persisted past 3 months. Gender was found to be a significant independent risk factor for the development ofsymptoms (odds ratio, 5.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.36 to 31.29; p = .013). Patients whose operations lasted longerthan 1 hour were almost 4 times more likely to develop tongue-related symptoms than those with an operative time lessthan 30 minutes, although these findings did not achieve statistical significance (odds ratio, 3.91; 95% confidence interval,0.62 to 30.95; p = .182).Conclusions: Alterations in tongue sensation and taste, most likely due to lingual nerve injury, are common after microlaryngoscopy,especially in female patients. They also tend to be associated with longer operative times. Although transientin nearly every case, lingual paresthesia and dysgeusia should form part of the preoperative discussion with the patient.Key Words: complication, dysgeusia, lingual nerve, microlaryngoscopy, paresthesia, tongue.
Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 2006;115(1):18-22.