Abstract
Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the olfactory function in patients who underwent total laryngectomy. Olfactory function assessment using the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test was carried out in 32 patients who had undergone total laryngectomy and were being followed up in Kasr El Aini ENT Outpatient Clinic. The studied cases included both men (59%) and women (41%). Their ages ranged from 50 to 70 years. The duration between operation and olfactory assessment ranged from 4.5 to 15.5 months. Results showed 75% incidence for anosmia and 25% incidence for hyposmia. Both age and sex did not correlate with either pattern of olfactory loss. The mean duration between operation and olfactory assessment was statistically significantly different between those who developed hyposmia and those who developed anosmia, being longer in the latter group. There was also a linear relation between the number of odors that could be smelled and postoperative duration. The longer the duration, the fewer the number of odors that could be smelled. The study reviewed similar studies and discussed suggested explanations. The study also recommended preoperative olfactory assessment as well as postoperative olfactory rehabilitation for such patients.
Highlights
Sense of smell provides people with valuable input from the surrounding environment, which is important for their food, drink, and security needs [1]
Olfactory loss following total laryngectomy was evident in this study, reporting an incidence of 75% for anosmia and 25% for hyposmia
Welge-Luessen et al.[5] reported 72% incidence for anosmia and 28% for hyposmia, whereas Risberg-Berlin et al.[9] reported and 17% incidence, respectively. Another important finding in our study revealed that the longer the time after total laryngectomy the greater the olfaction impairment (P < 0.001)
Summary
Sense of smell provides people with valuable input from the surrounding environment, which is important for their food, drink, and security needs [1]. Smell disorders can affect their food and fluid intake, which may cause weight loss, dehydration, and overconsumption of salty or sweet food items, aggravating, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Olfactory disorders are quantitative, such as anosmia, hyposmia, and hyperosmia, or qualitative, such as cacosmia and phantosmia [1]. Many recent studies reported post-total laryngectomy olfactory disorders to be common. The suggested explanations included decreased air volume because of discontinuation of upper and lower air columns following total laryngectomy, reducing the number of odor molecules transported to the olfactory epithelium [6]. Epithelial degeneration of olfactory mucosa that commonly follows the operation could be a major cause of olfactory loss in such patients [7]
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