title: The relationships between the clinical and polysomnographic findings and the olfactory function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the clinical and polysomnographic findings and the olfactory test results in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups were established: non-snoring controls (group 1), non-apneic snorers (group 2), mild-moderate OSAS (group 3), and severe OSAS (group 4). The polysomnographic findings, otorhinolaryngologic findings, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test results of the four groups were compared. The relationships between the clinical data and the olfactory parameters were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group 4 had the worst odor identification and discrimination scores. Non-apneic snorers also had worse odor parameters compared with the non-snorer controls. A significant negative correlation was found among the ESS, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), mean arterial oxygen saturation, and odor identification and discrimination. Significant negative correlations were found between the tongue and tongue base sizes and among all olfactory parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed olfactory dysfunction in patients with OSAS. A strong negative correlation between the olfactory parameters and the severity of sleep apnea was also found. Olfactory tests may be used to predict the presence and severity of OSAS in the future.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey. emregunbeymd@hotmail.com.|Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Kulak Burun Boğaz A.D, 55139, Kurupelit, Samsun, Turkey. emregunbeymd@hotmail.com.
authors: Emre
authors: E
authors: Günbey
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Chest Disease, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors: Aygül
authors: A
authors: Güzel
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors: Rıfat
authors: R
authors: Karlı
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors: Recep
authors: R
authors: Ünal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017286:Polysomnography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Olfactory dysfunction; Polysomnography; Sniffin’ Sticks