Question

"Patient: 57-year-old woman

Chief complaint: ""My tongue really hurts. Especially in front, at the tip. It gets worse as the day goes on and when I eat it's really bad. The roof of my mouth also hurts. Also I can't taste it as well. I move my food to the back of my mouth so I can taste it. Sometimes I can't sleep at night because of it.""
Background/Patient history: Patient reports burning sensation on tongues for past several months. No history of injury.
Current findings: Unremarkable. You suspect burning mouth syndrome and recommend further tests.

Which papillae are most likely involved in a patient's loss of taste
a. Fungiform
b. Filiform
c. Circumvallate"

Answer 1

The patient's loss of taste is most likely associated with the fungiform papillae, which contain taste buds and are found across the tongue, particularly at the tip and sides where the patient reports pain and taste loss.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fungiform papillae are most likely involved in the patient's loss of taste. Fungiform papillae are mushroom-shaped structures that cover a large area of the tongue, tend to be larger toward the rear of the tongue, and smaller on the tip and sides. These papillae contain taste buds that are responsible for the sensation of taste.

Meanwhile, filiform papillae are long and thin and have touch receptors aimed at moving food around in the mouth but do not contain taste buds, hence they are not typically associated with taste sensation. The abrasive surface they create is mechanical in nature, like a cat's tongue used for grooming.

The circumvallate papillae, which are located at the back of the tongue, also contain taste buds but due to the patient's description of pain at the tip of the tongue and loss of taste more prominently in the front, they are less likely to be the primarily affected papillae in this case.