Assessing parosmia patients: a study on the evaluation method using a self-administered odor questionnaire for...

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Parosmia symptoms present a significant clinical challenge due to patient heterogeneity.
• Quantifying parosmia is difficult, necessitating improved diagnostic tools.
• The Self-Administered Odor Questionnaire for Parosmia (SAOQ-P) was developed as a modification of an existing questionnaire.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of SAOQ-P in identifying parosmia symptoms.
• To evaluate the potential integration of SAOQ-P into clinical assessment processes.
• To explore differences in traditional olfactory test results between patients with and without parosmia.

Main Methods:

• Patients presenting at a smell clinic between May 2022 and November 2022 were recruited.
• The SAOQ-P, including an added question on 20 daily odors, was administered.
• Traditional olfactory tests included T&T olfactometry and Open Essence.

Main Results:

• Of 279 patients, 81 had parosmia (29%).
• Post-infectious and post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction cases showed higher parosmia rates.
• SAOQ-P identified parosmia in 87% of affected patients, with coffee, stool, and perfume most frequently altered; traditional tests showed no significant differences.

Conclusions:

• SAOQ-P is a promising tool for assessing and quantifying parosmia symptoms in clinical settings.
• The questionnaire provides insights into parosmia triggers.
• Limitations of traditional olfactory tests highlight the need for patient-centric diagnostic approaches for parosmia.