Taste disorders in children treated for hemoblastosis: analysis of prevalence and possible causes

Objective. To study the structure of taste disorders and possible risk factors of their development in children after the end of hemoblastosis treatment. Patients and methods. This retrospective study included data on 54 children who underwent rehabilitation in the Treatment and Rehabilitation Research Center “Russkoe Pole” of the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology. A comparison group was formed of 216 patients with hemoblastosis. Taste sensitivity analysis method: GOST (All-Union State Standard) ISO 3972-2014 (sweet, salty, bitter, sour tastes). Results of the dental examination and consultation with a neurologist, time after the end of treatment, and body composition (body fat and lean body mass) were analyzed. Results. It was found that 64.8% of children had nutritional disorders, 48.1% – excess body fat, 7.5% – severe dysgeusia, 24.1% – impaired sensitivity to three tastes, 24.1% – to two tastes, and 44.3% – to one taste. Ageusia to bitter taste (26%) and hypergeusia to sour taste (20%) were the most common. No significant correlation with the time after the end of treatment was obtained. Conclusion. Statistically significant differences were found between the study group and the comparison group depending on the investigated risk factors. To obtain highly significant results, it is advisable to conduct prospective studies in larger patient groups. Key words: children, taste disorders, malignant neoplasms, hemoblastosis, nutritional status, toxic neuropathy, dental status