Dear Editor, Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) is an uncommon cause of facial pain with a crude incidence rate estimated to be 0.7 per 100,000 yearly.1 GPN incidence is only 0.2% to 1.3% that of the more known facial pain entity trigeminal neuralgia.2 The character and distribution of pain is often diagnostic; shooting from the pharynx, tonsil, and posterior base of tongue upwards to the Eustach...

The excessive intake of dietary salt is a global issue in health. Attempts have been made to address this issue, including the development of salt substitutes. Yet, none of these substances are currently in wide use, because of their weak saltiness. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of sodium aspartate (Asp-Na) on salty taste perception using the bullfrog glossopharyngeal nerv...

The objective was to determine the incidence of exposure of the lingual branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve during tonsillectomy with a retrospective review of surgical findings in 138 children who underwent total tonsillectomy at a tertiary medical center. Age, sex, surgical indication, tonsil size, congenital abnormalities, operative time, and surgical findings indicating the presence or abs...

Context: The human lesser petrosal nerve (LPN) is a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve (IX), with contributions from the facial (VII) and vagus (X) nerves. Its formation and course are highly variable and complicated. The purpose of this article was to review the literature regarding the clinical anatomy of the LPN. Evidence Acquisition: The existing literature regarding this nerve was critic...

Dysgeusia, characterized as an altered perception of taste to any one of the four major tastant qualities (sweet, salt, sour, and bitter), is frequently experienced after dental anesthesia and neuroma (middle ear) surgery. Many medications, ranging from antiinflammatory drugs and protease inhibitors to antihypertensive drugs such as amiloride, have also been found to disrupt gustatory perceptio...