Abstract
Lingual papilla examination critical in clinically diagnosing taste dysfunction is facilitated by narrow band imaging (NBI), an optical technique enhancing superficial microvascular architecture. We studied the lingual papillae of subjects with and without taste dysfunction using flexible otorhinolaryngological fiberscopy with NBI. We compared NBI to conventional white-light imaging. Capillaries in lingual papillae contrasted better with surrounding tissue in NBI than in white-light imaging, making fungiform papillae involving blood flow easy to count. Taste-dysfunction sufferers' tongues showed decreased lingual papilla blood flow. We found NBI to be handy and useful in clinically diagnosing taste dysfunction.
