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Volume: 50 - Issue: 3

First page: 284 - Last page: 289

V.A. Schriever - C. Merkonidis - N. Gupta - C. Hummel - T. Hummel

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Olfactory dysfunction is a common complaint in a large number of people. As the aetiologies of olfactory dysfunction vary greatly so do the treatment approaches. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate treatment
with systemic corticosteroids, particularly focusing on its effectiveness on the different olfactory dysfunction aetiologies.
Although a prospective randomized control trail is preferred for such an investigation, using the current approach, we were
able to test a very large patient population.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 425 patients with olfactory dysfunction were treated with systemic corticosteroids for
14 days. Olfactory performance was measured using the ‘Sniffin’ Sticks’ battery before and after the treatment.
RESULTS: The treatment with systemic corticosteroids significantly increased the performance on the TDI score and on each of
the three subtests; threshold, discrimination and identification. In 26.6% of the patients improvement of more than six points
of the TDI score was observed. The treatment proved to be more effective in patients with sinunasal olfactory dysfunction,
where this percentage increased to 36.7, compared to other aetiologies. In addition, the increase in olfactory function was
negatively correlated with the TDI score before the treatment.
CONCLUSION: This study confirms the effectiveness of systemic corticosteroids on olfactory dysfunction in a large patient
population. Specifically, the results show that treatment is: (a) more effective in patients with sinunasal than in patients
with idiopathic olfactory dysfunction, (b) most effective in patients with sinunasal disease with nasal polyps, and (c), at best,
effective in half of the patients. The current study may provide help in counselling patients.

Rhinology 50-3: 284-289, 2012