Olfactory Disorder

From Anvita Health Wiki

Contents 1 More Specific Terms 2 Etiology 3 Clinical-manifestations 4 Laboratory 5 Radiology 6 Differential-diagnosis 7 Management 8 More General Terms 9 Additional Terms 10 References

More Specific Terms

• anosmia
• dysosmia
• parosmia (troposmia)

Etiology

• conditions that interfere with access of the odorant to the olfactory neuroepithelium

• swollen nasal mucosa due to allergic, viral or bacterial rhinitis & sinusitis
• deviation of nasal septum
• polyps & neoplasms
• abnormalities in nasal mucus secretion

• upper respiratory tract infection

• injury to neuroepithelial receptors

• destruction of neuroepithelium

• viral infection
• neoplasms ( meningioma is the most common)
• inhalation of toxic chemicals

• smoking

• radiation to the head
• vitamin A deficiency (rare in USA)

• injury to central olfactory pathways

• head trauma
• Parkinson's disease
• Alzheimer's disease [2], see UPSIT
• Korsakoff's psychosis
• vitamin B12 deficiency
• neoplasms of the anterior cranial fossa
• neurosurgical procedures
• neurotoxic agents

• ethanol, amphetamines, topical cocaine, amino- glycosides, tetracycline, tobacco smoke

• Kallmann's disease
• Cushing's syndrome
• hypothyroidism
• diabetes mellitus
• stroke

• psychiatric disorder
• pharmaceuticals associated with olfactory impairment

Clinical-manifestations

• patients generally complain of lack of taste, although taste thresholds may be normal
• dysosmia may occur with partial impairment of smell or during recovery phase from neurogenic anosmia

Laboratory

• smell identification test (40 item microencapsulated scratch & sniff test), see UPSIT
• detection threshold for odorant phenylethyl alcohol
• nasal resistance measurement by anterior rhinomanometry for each nostril
• biopsy of olfactory epithelium

Radiology

• computed tomography ( CT) of brain with enhancement

Differential-diagnosis

• dysosmia
• anosmia
• dysgeusia

Management

• directed towards the underlying etiology
• no effective therapy for sensorineural olfactory loss

More General Terms

• otorhinolaryngologic disease; ear, nose & throat (ENT) disease

Additional Terms

• age-associated changes in smell
• anosmia
• dysgeusia (taste disorder)
• hyposmia
• olfaction & Alzheimer's disease
• olfaction (smell)
• parosmia (troposmia)

References

1. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed. Fauci et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1998, pg 173-74
2. Wilson RS, Arnold SE, Schneider JA, Tang Y, Bennett DA. The relationship between cerebral Alzheimer's disease pathology and odour identification in old age. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007 Jan;78(1):30-5. Epub 2006 Sep 29. PMID: [1]

olfactory disorder