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Changes in the Epidemiology of Pediatric Olfactory Dysfunction Before and After COVID-19 Pandemic

Yuji Kishimoto1, Eri Mori1, Rinko Sakurai1

  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery The Jikei University School of Medicine Tokyo Japan.

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
|May 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic increased pediatric olfactory dysfunction, with upper respiratory infections, especially COVID-19, becoming the leading cause. Parosmia emerged as a key symptom in children post-COVID-19.

Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Health
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

  • Limited data exist on pediatric olfactory dysfunction changes post-COVID-19.
  • Investigating etiological shifts and qualitative symptoms like parosmia in children is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate temporal changes in pediatric olfactory dysfunction presentations.
  • To analyze etiological factors and symptom profiles before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of pediatric patients (<18 years) with olfactory dysfunction (Jan 2009-Dec 2024).
  • Division into pre-pandemic (Jan 2009-Mar 2020) and post-pandemic (Apr 2020-Dec 2024) cohorts.
  • Etiology determination via clinical history, imaging, endoscopy, and olfactory testing.

Main Results:

  • Proportion of pediatric patients increased significantly post-pandemic (1.5% to 4.7%).
  • Upper respiratory tract infection, largely COVID-19 related, became the leading cause, replacing olfactory cleft stenosis.
  • Parosmia was exclusively observed in post-COVID-19 pediatric patients; subjective scores indicated milder perceived dysfunction.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric olfactory dysfunction is more frequent post-COVID-19, primarily due to post-infectious causes like COVID-19.
  • Parosmia is a characteristic feature of pediatric olfactory dysfunction following COVID-19.
  • Increased clinical awareness and pediatric-specific diagnostic standards are necessary.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID‐19epidemiologyolfactory dysfunctionparosmiapediatric

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