121 Oviposit Dysgeusia; Head Trauma Induced Chemosensory Noisome Egg Dysgeusia: The Miasma of Dante’s Inferno-When Eggs Become Rotten

Abstract

Introduction:

Post-traumatic dysgeusia with conversion of the taste of eggs rotten eggs has not heretofore been described.

Method:

Case Report: A 60 year old right handed female 6 months prior to presentation sustained head trauma. Three days later she noted reduced taste and smell dysgeusia to eggs. Eggs tasted distorted, like rotten eggs. Raw egg whites had no smell or taste. Cooked egg whites had faint sulfur smell for 2-3 seconds and the taste of sulfur. Yolk of soft-boiled eggs, had no smell or taste. The white had no smell but an unbearable sulfur taste. Raw eggs had no smell. The yolk of hardboiled eggs had no smell and taste, the whites smelled and tasted like sulfur. Sunny side up eggs with yolk and white segregated had no smell but tasted, as they should. Sunny side up eggs with yolk and white mixed together has no smell but strong sulfur taste. Scrambled eggs had no smell but mild sulfur taste, which changed over time to a rotten egg smell and taste. With nose clips, scrambled eggs had 0/10 taste, without the nose clips the smell of sulfur was 3/10.

Results:

Olfaction: Normosmia to threshold and Retronasal Smell Index: 2 (abnormal): Gustatation : Normogeusia to all. Mild hypogeusia to sodium chloride. MRI: Multiple foci of periventricular and deep white matter demyelization.

Discussion:

Rotten egg smell maybe mediated through retro-nasal pathways, since nasal obstruction eliminated the rotten egg taste. Eggs can possibly be developed as a home device to assess chemosensory function.