Ambiguous "olfactory" terms for anatomic spaces adjacent to the cribriform plate: A publication database analysis and quest for uniformity.

Abstract

A precise nomenclature and terminology is the foundation of communication in Anatomy and related biomedical sciences. The olfactory bulbs and nerves lie above and below the cribriform plate (CP), respectively. Hence, many anatomical landmarks in this region have names adopting the term "olfactory" as qualifiers. Ambiguous use of these "olfactory" terms exists, with some potential repercussions on patient treatments. We performed a publication database analysis to determine the frequency of misuse of names for seven anatomical "olfactory" spaces close to the CP and nasal cavity. We searched PubMed® publications having the keyword "olfactory" in their title or abstract, plus one of seven other keywords: "groove", "fossa", "recess", "cleft", "vestibule", "sulcus", and "cistern". We reviewed all abstracts for accuracy of these terms relative to accepted norms or customary definitions. By February 2020, we found all these keywords in 1255 articles. For the terms olfactory "groove" and "fossa", the number of relevant articles (and percentage of those inaccurately using these terms) were 374 (1.1%), and 49 (8.2%), respectively. All 52 abstracts containing "olfactory" and "vestibule" were irrelevant, relating to the "nasal vestibule" and olfactory function, instead of "olfactory vestibule". Overall, terms used to describe "olfactory" spaces near the CP are seldom ambiguous or inaccurate, but the terms olfactory "groove" and "fossa" are occasionally misused, We propose several new "olfactory" terms for inclusion in the Terminologia Anatomica, and stress the need for uniform nomenclature leading to greater consistency and accuracy in clinical use of anatomical terms containing the word "olfactory" as a descriptor.