key: cord-0864300-2v0z0p00
authors: Campos, Luana; Soares, Luís Eduardo Silva; Berlingieri, Giuseppina; Ramires, Marcia Christina Camargo Hernandes; Guirado, Milena Miranda Goulart; Lyra, Luciana Aparecida de Oliveira P.; Teixeira, Inessa Solek; Oliveira, Patrícia Costa; Alvares, Cristina Maria Arvate; Palma, Luiz Felipe
title: A Brazilian multicenter pilot case series on the efficacy of photobiomodulation therapy for COVID-19-related taste dysfunction
date: 2021-11-24
journal: Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther
DOI: 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2021.102643
sha: e598ec0aab3669d11b01e09ac11f9d7073f9eb22
doc_id: 864300
cord_uid: 2v0z0p00

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unclear [3, 4] , indirect damage to taste receptors by the viral infection of epithelial cells of the tongue and subsequent local inflammation seems to be the key factor [5] . Likewise, several treatments are proposed for COVID-19-related taste dysfunction; however, there is not enough information about efficacy and safety [3] .

Thus, it was hypothesized that photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) would be beneficial for taste recovery since it has already been successfully applied in COVID-19 patients for treating orofacial lesions [6, 7] and smell dysfunction [8] .

This study aims to report a series of cases using PBMT for the management of COVID-19-related taste impairment.

Eight female (mean: 40.1 years; range: 21-59 years) and two male patients At the first clinical appointment (baseline) and before the subsequent ones, taste perception was evaluated using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 (normal taste) to 10 (complete absence of taste). Figure 2 depicts the scores obtained at baseline and before every laser session, which were grouped according to the PBMT protocols. It was noted improvements in taste impairment for all the patients, regardless of the protocol used.

Given the high prevalence rates of taste dysfunction in COVID-19 patients and the lack of information about the available treatments, PBMT seems to be a promising therapeutic modality but not dependent on the total number of laser sessions and the interval between them. The choice of the most suitable laser protocol as well as the knowledge of the exact photonic mechanisms, however, need to be better studied.

Funding: nothing to declare.

Conflicts of interest/Competing interests: nothing to declare.

Ethics approval: not applicable. Consent to participate: written informed consent was obtained from all the patients.

Consent for publication: written informed consent was obtained from all the patients.

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Olfactory and Taste Dysfunction in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

A cross-sectional study of olfactory and taste disorders among COVID-19 patients in China

Smell and taste disorders in COVID-19: From pathogenesis to clinical features and outcomes

A combination of phototherapy modalities for extensive lip lesions in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Photobiomodulation therapy and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for orofacial lesions in patients with COVID-19: A case series

Intranasal photobiomodulation therapy for COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction: a Brazilian multicenter case series

Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19: Diagnosis and Management

FIGURE LEGEND Figure 1. Irradiation points for photobiomodulation therapy

Figure 2. Taste scores at baseline and before every laser session, according to the photobiomodulation therapy protocols