Gender difference in Chinese adults with post-viral olfactory disorder:a hospital-based study

This hospital-based study found a gender differences in Chinese subjects with post-viral olfactory disorder (PVOD). Women appear to face higher susceptibility to PVOD, a finding that appears to be magnified with age and duration of olfactory loss.

PVOD is one of the most common reasons for acquired olfactory dysfunction, but there is little data in Chinese populations. We analyzed Chinese subjects with PVOD in order to determine demographic risk factors and clinical features in this major population group.

Data from 143 consecutive subjects with PVOD and 117 subjects with other olfactory disorders (controls) were analyzed. This study examined age, duration, and severity of olfactory loss, and compared the differences of subjective and objective olfactory function tests between two groups, using Sniffin' Sticks, Olfactory Event Related Potential (OERP), and olfactory pathway MRI.

There were more women in the PVOD group compared to controls (p < 0.001). Older subjects with PVOD were more likely to be women (p = 0.027), and the proportion of women with PVOD increased with the duration of olfactory loss (p = 0.032). There were no differences in the prevalence of abnormal OERP between two groups, although the female-to-male ratio was higher in the PVOD group (p = 0.041). Women with PVOD were less likely to have olfactory pathway abnormalities by MRI compared to controls (p < 0.001).