[Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of isolated congenital anosmia].
OBJECTIVE
To report a series of patients with isolated congenital anosmia and summarize their clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics.


METHODS
Twenty patients with isolated congenital anosmia were reviewed retrospectively. A thorough medical and chemosensory history, physical examination, nasal endoscopy, T&T olfactory testing, olfactory event-related potentials, sinonasal computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance image of olfactory pathway were performed in all patients.


RESULTS
Neither ENT physical examination nor nasal endoscopy was remarkable. Subjective olfactory testing indicated all of them were of anosmia. No olfactory event-related potentials to maximal stimulus were obtained. Computed tomography scan was normal. MRI revealed the absence of olfactory bulbs and tracts in all cases. And hypoplasia or aplasia of olfactory sulcus was found in all cases. All the patients had normal sex hormone level.


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of isolated congenital anosmia is established on chief complaints, physical examination, olfactory testing and olfactory imaging. MRI of olfactory pathway is indispensable.
Liu
Jian-feng
JF
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, China Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
Wang
Jian
J
You
Hui
H
Ni
Dao-feng
DF
Yang
Da-zhang
DZ
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies