Clinical Features of Taste Disorders in Cronkhite-Canada Syndrome: A Report of 10 Cases

This study investigated taste disorders in 10 patients with Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS), a rare gastrointestinal disorder with ectodermal abnormalities. More than 80% of CCS cases experience taste abnormalities. The study found that all patients had nail atrophy, 8 had weight loss, 6 had hair loss, 5 had skin hyperpigmentation, 4 had gastrointestinal symptoms, and at least 8 had atrophy of the lingual papillae. Zinc therapy was ineffective for taste disorders. Initial tests showed severe taste function decrease in the anterior tongue, but preservation in the posterior tongue. After treatment, all patients reported symptom improvement within 3 months, with significant taste function recovery in both the anterior and posterior tongue. The study concluded that taste disorders in CCS are severe in the anterior tongue due to ectodermal abnormalities, and taste tests are useful for assessing treatment efficacy.