title: Twice-daily application of topical corticosteroids with a squirt system for patients with steroid-responsive olfactory impairment.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Twice-daily topical corticosteroid treatment using a squirt system was beneficial in maintaining improvements in olfactory dysfunction which had been achieved by oral steroid treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Some patients suffering from olfactory dysfunction respond well to corticosteroids. However, maintaining these improvements is challenging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the maintenance effect of twice-daily topical steroid treatment using a squirt system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two anosmic patients with an increase in odor threshold, discrimination, and identification (TDI) scores in Sniffin' Sticks tests by more than six points after 1-week of oral steroid treatment were enrolled. All the patients used a squirt system to apply topical corticosteroids and were followed up at 1, 3, and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen, 16, and 10 patients were followed-up at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment, respectively. All the patients had significant visual analog scale scores improvements compared to pre-treatment. The mean improvements in TDI scores were 9.80 (p < 0.001), 11.58 (p = 0.001), and 13.87 (p = 0.005) after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment, respectively. The self-rated and objective olfactory function scores were maintained with steroid squirt therapy without significant decline, even in the patients who were followed up for 6 months.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan.|b Institute of Brain Science , National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yun-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Dai-Lou
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology , Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taipei , Taiwan.|c Department of Otolaryngology , National Yang-Ming University , Taipei , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide
keywords: Corticosteroid; Sniffin’ Sticks Test; olfactory dysfunction; smell; squirt; steroid responsive anosmia