title: Olfactory dysfunction in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate patient reports of olfactory dysfunction after surgical intervention for allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) with endoscopic findings, psychophysical testing, and quality-of-life scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A tertiary care rhinology clinic at St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one patients with AFRS seen at routine postoperative follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Sniffin' Sticks test and a visual analog scale for the perceived olfactory ability of patients with AFRS were administered, along with a 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. An endoscopic staging score was assigned for each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty men and 41 women with AFRS underwent olfactory testing; 52 of these individuals completed all parts of the assessment. The mean threshold, discrimination, and identification score was 19 (hyposmic), with a significant correlation between patients' performance on the Sniffin' Sticks test and endoscopic staging, as well as their reported olfactory ability (P < .001 for all 3 tests). The mean score for the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey was 71, but there was a poor correlation between it and the threshold, discrimination, and identification score; visual analog scale; and endoscopic scores (P > .05 for all 3 tests).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All patients with AFRS should be evaluated with olfactory testing and treated according to the results.
authors.affiliation: St Paul's Sinus Centre, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. C.Philpott@uea.ac.uk
authors.forename: Carl M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Philpott
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thamboo
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Amin Varasteh
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Badri
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Amin R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Javer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012903:Smell