Characteristics of Olfactory Disorder With and Without Reported Flavor Loss
Objectives/Hypothesis Quality of life related to olfactory disorder (OD) depends on the perceived impairment. It is not known why some patients with OD report smell and flavor loss while others report smell loss only. In order to understand this, we compared the two clinical presentation forms in te...
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| Published in: | The Laryngoscope Vol. 130; no. 12; pp. 2869 - 2873 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Hoboken, USA
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
01-12-2020
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Objectives/Hypothesis
Quality of life related to olfactory disorder (OD) depends on the perceived impairment. It is not known why some patients with OD report smell and flavor loss while others report smell loss only. In order to understand this, we compared the two clinical presentation forms in terms of demographics, clinical features, and orthonasal olfaction test results.
Study Design
Observational, analytic, cross‐sectional study.
Methods
A total of 401 patients with measured orthonasal OD presenting at a tertiary referral center were divided in 2 groups according to their subjective reports (smell loss only = 129 patients vs. smell and flavor loss = 272 patients). Groups were compared in terms of demographic (age, sex), clinical features (duration of disease, type of onset, etiology, degree of impairment due to the disorder) and test results (taste and orthonasal olfaction).
Results
Groups did not differ in terms of age, sex distribution, orthonasal olfactory, or taste function. Patients reporting smell and flavor loss were characterized by a mainly sudden onset of the disorder and a predominance of postinfectious olfactory loss. They also have a shorter disease duration and a higher disease impairment. For patients reporting smell loss only, disease duration is longer, they feel less impaired, the onset of the disorder is to a higher degree protracted and the main cause is idiopathic.
Conclusions
Patients with orthonasal OD reporting smell and flavor loss feel more impaired and present significant different clinical features compared to patients reporting smell loss only. Future studies measuring retronasal olfaction are necessary to fully understand flavor perception in OD.
Level of Evidence
4 Laryngoscope, 130:2869–2873, 2020 |
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| Bibliography: | This work was performed at the Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany. The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose. Editor's Note: This Manuscript was accepted for publication on July 7, 2020. ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Undefined-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 |
| ISSN: | 0023-852X 1531-4995 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/lary.29070 |