Titre du document / Document title

Objective assessment of terbinafine- induced taste loss

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

DOTY Richard L. ⁽¹⁾ ; HAXEL Boris R. ⁽²⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Smell and Taste Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ETATS-UNIS
⁽²⁾ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mainz Medical School, Mainz, ALLEMAGNE

Résumé / Abstract

Objectives: Terbinafine (Lamisil), a widely prescribed oral antifungal agent, reportedly induces taste loss in 0.6% to 2.8% of those taking the drug. However, many so-called taste problems reflect olfactory problems, and the sole empirical study published on this topic, based on whole-mouth testing of a single subject, found no terbinafine-related deficit. In this study, we quantitatively assessed, using well-validated taste and smell tests, chemosensory function in six patients complaining of taste disturbance after terbinafine treatment and compared their test scores to those of six age-, race-, and sex-matched normal controls. Methods: Taste function was measured using a 96-trial regional test that assesses sweet, sour, bitter, and salty taste perception within the anterior (cranial nerve [CN] VII) and posterior (CN IX) lingual taste bud fields. Smell function was bilaterally evaluated using the 40-item University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test. Results: Taste function for sweet-, sour-, and bitter-tasting stimuli was significantly depressed in both the anterior and posterior lingual regions. For sodium chloride, the decrements were confined to the posterior region. Olfactory function was within normal limits. Conclusion: These findings 1) support anecdotal case reports of taste loss after terbinafine use, 2) demonstrate that all four major taste qualities are affected, and 3) suggest that olfactory dysfunction is not involved. Because self-report markedly underestimates chemosensory deficits, more extensive quantitative testing of patients receiving terbinafine will likely reveal a much higher prevalence of terbinafine-induced taste loss than currently reported. Since being older than 65 years of age and having a low body mass index are reportedly risk factors for terbinafine-induced taste loss, physicians should be particularly on the alert for elderly persons taking this medication who may become depressed or alter their food intake in response to decreased taste sensation.

Revue / Journal Title

The Laryngoscope   ISSN 0023-852X   CODEN LARYA8 

Source / Source

2005, vol. 115, n^o11, pp. 2035-2037 [3 page(s) (article)] (11 ref.)

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ, ETATS-UNIS  (1896) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Sensory disorder ; Nervous system diseases ; Allylic compound ; Amine ; ENT disease ; Antifungal agent ; Evaluation ; Human ; Toxicity ; Terbinafine ; Agueusia ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Trouble sensoriel ; Système nerveux pathologie ; Composé allylique ; Amine ; ORL pathologie ; Antifongique ; Evaluation ; Homme ; Toxicité ; Terbinafine ; Agueusie ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Trastorno sensorial ; Sistema nervioso patología ; Compuesto alílico ; Amina ; ORL patología ; Antifúngico ; Evaluación ; Hombre ; Toxicidad ; Terbinafina ; Ageusia ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 3102, 35400013435103.0230