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Biomedical subjects

Laurence J DiNardo

Publications and source records attributed to Laurence J DiNardo.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Toxic effects on gustatory function.

A large number of substances and disease processes may impact the sense of taste. Toxic substances may cause taste dysfunction from their effects on the gustatory system from the salivary gland, to the taste bud, to the central neural pathways. A number of external toxins, including industrial compounds, tobacco, and alcohol, may adversely affect taste, most commonly through local effects in the oral cavity. Blood-borne toxins, such as medications and those present in autoimmune and other systemic disorders (e.g. renal or liver failure), have access to all parts of the gustatory system, and thus may exhibit varied effects on taste function. An understanding of these potential toxins and their impact on gustation will help physicians better recognize, and potentially limit the impact of such taste alterations on their patients.

Diabetes Complications↗
PubMed2004

Hazardous events associated with impaired olfactory function.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of olfactory-related hazardous events in patients with impaired olfactory function. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A university-based clinic for smell and taste disorders. PATIENTS: A total of 445 patients who underwent olfactory testing between 1983 and 2001. INTERVENTIONS: Patient interview, olfactory testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Frequency of olfactory-related hazardous events including cooking incidents (ie, burning pots or pans), undetected fires, undetected gas leaks, and ingestion of spoiled foods or toxic substances; (2) level of olfactory function (anosmia; severe, moderate, or mild hyposmia; or normosmia) as determined by olfactory testing. RESULTS: Olfactory testing revealed that 76% of patients had some degree of impairment; 30% had complete anosmia. Thirty-seven percent of patients with olfactory impairment but only 19% of patients without impairment experienced at least 1 olfactory-related hazardous event. Of the hazardous events reported by impaired patients, cooking-related incidents were most common, representing 45%, with ingestion of spoiled food (25%), inability to detect a gas leak (23%), and inability to smell a fire (7%) reported less frequently. There was a significant correlation between frequency of hazardous events and degree of olfactory impairment (Cochran-Armitage trend test, P<.001): at least 1 hazardous event was reported by 45.2% of patients with anosmia, 34.1% with severe hyposmia, 32.8% with moderate hyposmia, 24.2% with mild hyposmia, and 19.0% of patients with with normal olfaction by testing. CONCLUSION: Patients with impaired olfactory function are more likely to experience olfactory-related hazardous events than those with normal olfactory function.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed2004

Effects of head injury on olfaction and taste.

Traumatic events such as motor vehicle accidents, falls, or assaults can lead to dysfunction in olfaction or gustation. Mechanisms of posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction include direct injury to the sinonasal tract or olfactory epithelium, shearing effect on olfactory fibers at the cribriform plate, or brain contusion or intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Posttraumatic gustatory dysfunction is rare, but may occur as a result of direct injury to the tongue, injury to cranial nerves VII or IX, or brain contusion or hemorrhage. Evaluation of head-injured patients presenting with olfactory or gustatory complaints should include a thorough history, including assessment for pre-and posttraumatic chemosensory dysfunction and potential mechanisms of injury, complete head and neck examination including nasal endoscopy and cranial nerve testing, and focused radiographic imaging, usually CT of the sinuses and skull base. Formal olfactory and gustatory testing may be performed using various techniques, although in cases potentially involving litigation, methodologies able to detect malingering should be used. Treatable causes of chemosensory disturbance, most notably conductive olfactory losses caused by chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal obstruction, should be ruled out. In the event of neurosensory deficits, recovery may occur up to 12 to 18 months after the traumatic event. All patients should be counseled regarding the risks of their chemosensory deficits, and given suggestions for appropriate compensatory strategies.

Brain↗
PubMed2003

Image-guided endoscopic transsphenoidal drainage of select petrous apex cholesterol granulomas.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the indications and advantages of image-guided transsphenoidal endoscopic drainage of select petrous apex cholesterol granulomas. STUDY DESIGN: Case report and literature review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. CONCLUSIONS: Image-guided endoscopic transsphenoidal drainage of cholesterol granulomas is the procedure of choice for petrous apex cholesterol granulomas that abut the sphenoid sinus and are accessible through its posterior wall.

Bone Diseases↗