A patient reports dysgeusia. Which salivary gland is most closely associated with the sense of taste?

Correct answer: C. Von Ebner glands

• A. ❌ Blandin-Nuhn glands are mixed minor glands at the ventral tongue tip — the site of the rare Blandin-Nuhn mucocele — not taste-related.
• B. ❌ The submandibular gland is mixed seromucous and supplies most unstimulated saliva; it is not taste-specific.
• C. ✅ CORRECT — VON EBNER GLANDS are serous minor salivary glands that empty into the trough of the circumvallate (and foliate) papillae. Their watery secretion flushes the taste buds so that fresh tastants can reach the receptors, and it contains lingual lipase and von Ebner gland protein, which binds and presents hydrophobic tastants.
• D. ❌ The parotid is the largest serous gland and contributes to overall lubrication, but it has no direct anatomic relationship to the taste buds.

Note: Broader dysgeusia workup: xerostomia, zinc deficiency, medications (ACE inhibitors, metronidazole), URI, chemotherapy, and neurologic causes.