title: Olfaction disorders: retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The smell, subjective phenomenon of great importance, is poorly understood and studied in humans. Physicians with more knowledge about smell disorders tend to consider the phenomenon important and to better manage the diagnosis and its treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  First to describe a sample of patients presenting with main complaint of disturbances of smell. And second, to show our experience on management and treatment of this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sample description and assessment of treatment response in patients with main complaint of hyposmia or anosmia from January 2005 to October 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 38 patients presented with main complaint of an olfactory disorder, 68.4% of the patients were presented with hyposmia and 31,5% with anosmia, with a mean duration of 30.8 months. The main etiologic diagnoses were idiopathic (31.5%), rhinitis (28.9%) and CRS with polyps (10.5%). Responses to treatment with topical steroids and alpha-lipoic acid were variable, as well as in the literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater importance should be given to disorders of smell in practice of otolaryngologists, since its large differential diagnosis and the fact that could increase morbidity to patients, impacting on their quality of life.
authors.forename: Luciano Lobato
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Gregorio
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caparroz
authors.forename: Leonardo Mendes Acatauassú
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Luciano Rodrigues
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Eduardo Kosugi
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Macoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids; D008063:Thioctic Acid