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Olfactory function and disease severity in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Jamie R Litvack1, Jess C Mace, Timothy L Smith

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery, Oregon Sinus Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.

American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy
|April 30, 2009
PubMed
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Olfactory dysfunction in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) correlates with objective disease measures like endoscopy and CT scans, but not with quality of life (QOL). This finding contrasts with prior research suggesting a link between olfactory impairment and reduced QOL.

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Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Rhinology
  • Olfactory Science

Background:

  • Olfactory dysfunction is a known contributor to reduced quality of life (QOL).
  • The relationship between olfactory testing and other disease burden measures in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) remains unclear.
  • This study investigates olfactory function in relation to objective CRS indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the correlation between olfactory function and objective measures of CRS, including CT scans and endoscopy scores.
  • To assess the relationship between olfactory function and both disease-specific and general QOL measures in CRS patients.

Main Methods:

  • A multi-institutional, cross-sectional study of 367 CRS patients.
  • Objective measures included the Smell Identification Test, Lund-MacKay CT scores, Lund-Kennedy endoscopy scores, and validated QOL instruments.
  • Statistical analyses involved analysis of variance and calculation of correlation coefficients.

Main Results:

  • Patients with olfactory dysfunction exhibited significantly worse endoscopy and CT scores.
  • Olfactory scores showed moderate correlations with both endoscopy (r = -0.46) and CT scores (r = -0.53).
  • No significant correlation was found between olfactory function and disease-specific or general QOL measures.

Conclusions:

  • Contrary to previous suggestions, olfactory impairment in CRS was not correlated with QOL in this study.
  • Olfactory function demonstrated a strong correlation with objective measures of CRS severity, specifically endoscopy and CT findings.
  • These findings highlight the utility of olfactory testing as an objective indicator of CRS disease burden.