title: Olfactory acuity after total laryngectomy.
abstract: The olfactory acuity of 29 patients receiving laryngectomy was prospectively studied. The olfactory acuity was evaluated by Jet Stream Olfactometer (JSO) and Alinamin test preoperatively and at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. The findings of nasal/olfactory mucosae were also observed by rigid endoscope. Based on the results of JSO, the averages of detection/recognition thresholds tended to increase 3 months postoperatively, then the averaged thresholds tended to decrease thereafter. There were significant differences between preoperative values and those 3 months after surgery, but there were no significant differences between preoperative values and these 6/12 months after surgery. Nasal respiratory mucosae observed 12 months after laryngectomy showed atrophic nasal mucosa in 11/14 patients. However, olfactory mucosae appeared normal in all of the patients observed. These results suggested that the function of the olfactory epithelium remained intact after laryngectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. megumi@hyo-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Keijiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukazawa
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hatta
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasuno
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakagami
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009832:Olfactory Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors