[Pressure-pulsed cortisone therapy in smelling disorders]

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neurology
• Pharmacology

Context:

• Smelling disorders, including sinonasal, post-viral (URTI), and idiopathic types, often lack clear treatment strategies.
• Corticosteroids are used, but optimal delivery methods and efficacy remain under investigation.
• Olfactory function assessment typically relies on subjective reports, necessitating validated objective measures.

Purpose:

• To compare the efficacy of topical corticoid pressure-pulsed inhalation therapy versus systemic corticoid administration in treating smelling disorders.
• To evaluate olfactory function using the Threshold-Discrimination-Identification (TDI) score before and after treatment.
• To determine if pressure-pulsed inhalation offers a more effective or safer alternative for corticoid delivery.

Summary:

• Patients with olfactory dysfunction (sinonasal, post-URTI, idiopathic) received either topical corticoid pressure-pulsed inhalation or systemic corticoids.
• Olfactory function was assessed using the validated Threshold-Discrimination-Identification (TDI) score.
• A clinically relevant improvement (≥6 points) in TDI score was observed in 20% of patients in both treatment groups, irrespective of demographic factors or disease duration.

Impact:

• Topical corticoid pressure-pulsed inhalation therapy is an efficient and accepted treatment option for smelling disorders.
• This method demonstrates comparable efficacy to systemic administration but with potentially fewer side effects.
• The findings support the use of pressure-pulsed inhalation as a viable strategy in managing olfactory dysfunction.