A patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience taste dysfunction, and this may go unrecognized unless specifically looked for.
When to suspect taste dysfunction:
(1) male gender
(2) extensive lesions in the brain (based on number of lesions and volume of lesions)
(3) loss of appetite
(4) weight loss
Locations where the volume of lesions impact taste:
(1) temporal lobe
(2) medial frontal lobe
(3) superior frontal lobe
Locations where the number of lesions impact taste:
(1) left and right superior frontal
(2) right anterior cingulate gyrus
(3) left parietal operculum
A patient with MS may also experience loss of smell (olfactory dysfunction), which fill impact perception of taste.
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Specialty: Otolaryngology
