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Olfactory dysfunction in leprosy.

Anupam Mishra1, Kenji Saito, Scott E Barbash

  • 1Smell and Taste Center, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. anupampenn@yahoo.com

The Laryngoscope
|March 17, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Leprosy (Hansen's disease) significantly impairs smell function in all patients, with lepromatous leprosy causing the most severe olfactory deficit. Smell function improved after treatment only in lepromatous leprosy patients.

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Area of Science:

  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Nasal pathology is common in leprosy (Hansen's disease).
  • The impact of leprosy on the sense of smell (olfactory function) is not well understood.
  • Olfactory dysfunction may be prevalent in leprosy patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the olfactory function in patients with different types of leprosy.
  • To compare olfactory deficits across tuberculoid, borderline, and lepromatous leprosy.
  • To assess the effect of treatment on smell function in leprosy patients.

Main Methods:

  • A standardized 12-item odor identification test was administered to 77 leprosy patients.
  • Patients were categorized into three types: tuberculoid, borderline, and lepromatous.

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  • Results were compared to age-, sex-, and smoking-habit-matched controls.

    • Main Results:

    • All leprosy types showed significantly lower odor identification scores than controls.
    • Lepromatous leprosy patients had the lowest scores compared to other types.
    • Only lepromatous leprosy patients showed significant smell improvement post-treatment.
    • No correlation was found between disease duration and olfactory deficit severity.
    • 100% of patients exhibited some form of olfactory dysfunction.

    Conclusions:

    • Leprosy universally causes olfactory dysfunction, regardless of disease type or duration.
    • Lepromatous leprosy leads to the most severe smell impairment.
    • Standardized testing reveals a higher prevalence of olfactory dysfunction than previously estimated.