Evaluation of peripheral olfactory pathways in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Endocrinology
• Neurology

Background:

• Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, is a common endocrine disorder.
• Olfactory dysfunction can be associated with various neurological and systemic conditions.
• Radiological assessment of olfactory structures may provide insights into disease-related changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To radiologically evaluate olfactory bulb (OB) volume and olfactory sulcus (OS) depth in adult patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.
• To compare these measurements between patients and healthy controls.
• To investigate correlations between OB/OS measurements and thyroid function parameters.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-eight patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 66 healthy controls underwent cranial MRI.
• Olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcus depth were measured using coronal T2-weighted images.
• Thyroid function tests and autoantibody levels were assessed and correlated with OB/OS measurements.

Main Results:

• Patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis had significantly lower right and left OB volumes compared to controls (p<0.05).
• No significant difference in OS depth was observed between patients and controls.
• Negative correlations were found between TSH, thyroid antibodies, and bilateral OB volumes.
• Euthyroid Hashimoto's patients showed no significant difference in OB volume compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Diminished bilateral OB volumes are present in patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.
• OB volumes are not affected in euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients.
• Reduced OB volume in hypothyroid patients may indicate potential odor dysfunction, warranting clinical evaluation.