Olfactory prodromal symptoms and unilateral olfactory dysfunction are associated in patients with right mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE
We report a patient with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) with olfactory prodromal symptoms manifested as an unpleasant smell of onions, who was found to have an ipsilateral deficit of olfactory naming (olfactory agnosia).


RESULTS
Preoperative olfactory testing revealed a selective right-sided olfactory deficit for naming of odors. Olfactory threshold was within the normal range. The patient has been seizure free after selective amygdalohippocampectomy for 4 months. No olfactory prodromal events have occurred since surgery. Olfactory testing 3 months after resection showed that right-sided odor naming was still impaired.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that olfactory prodromal symptoms may be associated with unilateral olfactory dysfunction, and lateralization of seizure origin may be possible by unilateral olfactory testing.
Lehrner
J
J
Neurological University Clinic, Vienna, Wien, Austria.
Baumgartner
C
C
Serles
W
W
Olbrich
A
A
Pataraia
E
E
Bacher
J
J
Aull
S
S
Deecke
L
L
D000377:Agnosia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000601:surgery; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*