Reduced Suprathreshold Odor Identification in Patients with Pseudotumor Cerebri: A Non-Randomized Prospective Study

Recent evidence suggests that olfaction is impaired in patients with pseudotumor cerebri (PTC).

To measure suprathreshold olfactory function by using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), assessing its usefulness for routine clinical use.

Forty PTC patients underwent USPIT olfactory testing.

Twenty-nine out of 40 (73%) PTC patients (36 women, 4 men; mean age 34 years) had reduced suprathreshold smell sensation according to UPSIT scores: 19 (47%) had mild microsmia, 9 (23%) had moderate microsmia, and one (3%) was classified as having severe microsmia. The mean UPSIT score of all patients was 32.4 (95% confidence interval 31.4-33.4). Multivariate regression analysis found that UPSIT scores were not related to disease activity, disease duration, initial intracranial pressure (ICP), or visual function.

Many PTC patients have reduced suprathreshold olfactory dysfunction that can be discovered by UPSIT, a rapidly administered smell test, which is suitable for clinical office use.