Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T01:02:50.076Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Unilateral Atrophy of Fungiform Papillae Associated with Lingual Nerve Injury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2014

Cecile L. Phan*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Jodi L. Kashmere
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Sanjay Kalra
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
*
2F1-24 Walter Mckenzie Center, 8440-112 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The lingual nerve is at risk of injury during common dental procedures because of its proximity to the inferior alveolar nerve and the roots of the third molar tooth. Lingual nerve injury has been documented following extraction of wisdom teeth, dental anesthetic injections, and other endodontic procedures. We present a case of loss of somatosensory function and taste associated with the intriguing finding of fungiform papillae atrophy as a result of lingual nerve injury.

Type
Peer Reviewed Letter
Copyright
Copyright © The Canadian Journal of Neurological 2006

References

1. Mason, DA. Lingual nerve damage following lower third molar surgery. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1988;27:47780.Google Scholar
2. Blackburn, CW, Bramley, PA. Lingual nerve damage associated with the removal of lower third molars. Br Dent J. 1989;167:1037.Google Scholar
3. Carmichael, FA, McGowan, DA. Incidence of nerve damage following third molar removal: a West of Scotland Oral Surgery Research Group Study. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1992;30: 7882.Google Scholar
4. Hotta, M, Endo, S, Tomita, H. Taste disturbance in two patients after dental anesthesia by inferior alveolar nerve block. Acta Otolaryngol. 2002;546 Suppl:S948.Google Scholar
5. Graff-Radford, SB, Evans, RW. Lingual nerve injury. Headache 2003;43:97583.Google Scholar
6. Victor, M, Ropper, AH. Disorders of the special senses. In: Victor, M, Ropper, AH, editors. Adams and Victor’s principles of neurology, 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2001. p. 243.Google Scholar
7. Whitehead, MC, Frank, ME, Hettinger, TP, Hou, LT, Nah, HD. Persistence of taste buds in denervated fungiform papillae. Brain Res. 1987;192-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Zuniga, JR, Chen, N, Phillips, CL. Chemosensory and somatosensory regeneration after lingual nerve repair in humans. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1997;55:213.Google Scholar
9. Zuniga, JR, Chen, N, Miller, IJ Jr. Effects of chorda-lingual nerve injury and repair on human taste. Chem Senses. 1994;657-65.Google Scholar
10. Hard af Segerstad, C, Hellekant, G, Farbman, AI. Changes in number and morphology of fungiform taste buds in rat after transection of the chorda tympani or chora-lingual nerve. Chem Senses. 1989;14:33548.Google Scholar
11. Montavon, P, Hellekant, G, Farbman, A. Immunohistochemical, electrophysiological, and electron microscopical study of rat fungiform taste buds after regeneration of chorda tympani through the non-gustatory lingual nerve. J Comp Neurol. 1996; 367:491502.3.0.CO;2-#>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Whitehead, MC, Ganchrow, JR, Ganchrow, D, Yao, B. Neural cell adhesion molecule, neuron-specific enolase and calcitonin-related peptide immunoreactivity in hamster taste buds after chorda tympani/lingual nerve denervation. Neuroscience 1998; 83(3):84356.Google Scholar
13. Ogden, GR. Atrophy of fungiform papillae following lingual nerve damage - a poor prognosis? Br Dent J. 1989;167:332.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Cowan, PW. Atrophy of fungiform papillae following lingual nerve damage - a suggested mechanism. Br Dent J. 1990;168:95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Ogden, GR. Loss of fungiform papillae. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1996;34:480.Google Scholar