Clinical features of taste disorders in Cronkhite-Canada syndrome: a report of 10 cases.

This article focuses on the characteristics and treatment outcomes of taste abnormalities in patients with Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS), a rare gastrointestinal disorder with ectodermal abnormalities. In a study of 10 CCS patients presenting with taste disorders, taste impairment was more severe in the anterior tongue, which originates from ectodermal tissue, and was associated with atrophy of lingual papillae, nail atrophy, hair loss, and skin hyperpigmentation. Zinc therapy was ineffective, whereas steroid treatment led to significant improvement in taste function and related symptoms. The study highlights the usefulness of taste tests—electrogustometry (EGM) and filter paper disc (FPD) methods—in evaluating taste dysfunction and treatment efficacy in CCS, and emphasizes that CCS may present without gastrointestinal symptoms, necessitating awareness among clinicians treating taste disorders.