Clinical value of olfactory function tests after endoscopic sinus surgery: a short-term result

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Rhinology
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Chronic sinusitis affects patients of all ages.
• Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is the primary surgical treatment.
• Assessing olfactory function post-FESS is crucial for treatment evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical value of olfactory function tests before and after FESS.
• To correlate preoperative olfactory cleft status with olfactory function.
• To assess the improvement in subjective symptoms and objective olfactory measures post-FESS.

Main Methods:

• 50 patients with bilateral sinusitis underwent FESS.
• Olfactory function tests (butanol threshold, odor identification) were performed preoperatively and at 1 and 2 months postoperatively.
• Preoperative CT scans assessed sinusitis grade and olfactory cleft status.

Main Results:

• Olfactory cleft status significantly impacted preoperative olfactory threshold scores (p < 0.001).
• At 2 months post-FESS, 96% of patients reported improved subjective symptoms.
• Objective olfactory thresholds improved in 68% of patients, with no correlation to subjective improvement.

Conclusions:

• Olfactory threshold testing can aid in predicting FESS outcomes.
• Further objective methods like rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry are needed for comprehensive assessment.
• Combined subjective and objective measures provide a more reliable evaluation of FESS efficacy.