A study of olfactory testing in patients with rhinological pathology in the ENT clinic.
BACKGROUND
Despite the common occurrence of rhinological pathology presenting to the ENT clinic, routine testing of olfactory ability is rarely performed.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the role of routine olfactory testing.


METHODS
This was a prospective study conducted in the outpatient clinic of a district general hospital. Patients presenting with rhinological complaints had their olfactory status assessed using the combined olfactory test (COT) before and after rhinological surgery.


RESULTS
Eighty patients (56 men, 24 women) had tests completed over a 12-month period. Patients assessed mostly had nasal polyposis, chronic rhinosinusitis or septal deformity. 83% of patients had either a complaint of olfactory disturbance or a COT score of 6 or less, or had both; but correlation between symptoms and scores was poor. Post-operative COT scores showed significant improvement (p = 0.02) with post-septoplasty patients showing the most significant improvement as a group (p = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Olfactory disturbance is very common in rhinological pathology and the patient's history alone cannot be relied upon. Simple olfactory assessment, such as with the combined olfactory test, is easy to perform and cheap to use and should be a commonly used resource in the ENT clinic. Formal testing can help to document any pre-existing olfactory loss and any post-operative changes as well as detecting unreported hyposmia.
Philpott
C M
CM
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, James Paget University Hospital NHS Trust, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, United Kingdom. carl.philpott@btinternet.com
Rimal
D
D
Tassone
P
P
Prinsley
P R
PR
Premachandra
D J
DJ
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*