Preoperative prognostic factors for olfactory change after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
BACKGROUND
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) has been considered to improve the olfactory function in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. However, which factors might affect the olfactory outcome after FESS has not been well investigated.


METHODS
A total of 70 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who underwent FESS were enrolled in the study. The potential prognostic factors for improvement in olfaction after FESS were evaluated in these patients. On the day before FESS, the olfactory function was evaluated by a symptom score, a phenyl ethyl alcohol odor detection threshold test, the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, and a short-term odor memory/discrimination test, and were reevaluated by the same methods 6 months after FESS.


RESULTS
The degree of nasal obstruction, the second minimal cross-sectional area measured by acoustic rhinometry, computed tomography scores before FESS, the degree of preoperative olfactory loss indicated by threshold and identification scores, and coexistence of nasal polyps or allergic rhinitis were not significantly reliable to influence the rates of olfactory improvement after FESS.


CONCLUSIONS
Degree of nasal obstruction, extent of rhinosinusitis disease, and coexistence of nasal polyps or allergic rhinitis did not predicate the overall possibility of any olfactory improvement after FESS.
Jiang
Rong-San
RS
Department of Otolaryngology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. rsjiang@vghtc.gov.tw
Su
Mao-Chang
MC
Liang
Kai-Li
KL
Shiao
Jiun-Yih
JY
Hsin
Chung-Han
CH
Lu
Fung-Jou
FJ
Chen
Wen-Kang
WK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult