Clinical Feasibility of Scent Survey for Screening Test for Olfactory Function

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The scent survey for screening (SSS) test is a subjective olfactory questionnaire devised for this study. We demonstrated the correlation of the SSS test with other olfactory tests and the efficacy of the SSS test as an olfactory screening test compared to KVSSII. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 363 patients who visited our ORL outpatient department underwent the SSS test, VAS, and KVSS I and II. The patients were divided into two groups, a group with normal olfactory function and a group with olfactory dysfunction according to the KVSS II test. In each group, the correlations between the olfactory tests were studied, and the cut-off value of the SSS test as a screening test was investigated. RESULTS: There was positive correlation between CCSIT and KVSS I, II, T, D, and I tests and the SSS test in the total group and in the olfactory dysfunction group (p<0.05). The identification test in the KVSS II showed the highest positive correlation. While the cut-off value of normal olfactory function in the KVSS II is 28, the SSS test showed the highest specificity and sensitivity of 74 under an ROC curve. CONCLUSION: The SSS test showed very high correlation with other olfactory tests, especially in an olfactory dysfunction group. This result indicates that the SSS is appropriate as a screening test to select people with olfactory disorder.

Correlation between Olfactory Threshold Test, Olfactory Identification Test and Subjective Symptoms / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Psychophysical tests such as 16-item Korean Version of Sniffin' Sticks test (KVSS) identification test and Butanol Threshold Test (BTT) are relatively objective tests, but such tests cannot completely explain olfactory complaints. Furthermore, the correlation between KVSS and BTT has not been validated in Korea. We evaluated subjective olfactory symptoms of patients by a questionnaire and the correlation between two tests and the symptom questionnaire. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A total of 789 patients who visited olfactory clinic of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from April 2004 through July 2007 were included in this study. BTT and KVSS identification tests were performed and all the patients filled out an olfactory questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of 4 parts: general olfaction, general taste, odorspecific olfaction and quality of life. Patients were categorized into 4 groups according to KVSS identification score. KVSS identification scores 0 to 3 represent anosmia, 4 to 7 severe hyposmia, 8 to 12 mild to moderate hyposmia and 13 to 16 normosmia. We analyzed the differences in the subjective symptom questionnaire scores of 4 groups. RESULTS: KVSS and BTT showed a significant correlation (R=.646, p<.001). Each part of the questionnaire also showed significant correlation to KVSS or BTT. The mean scores of subjective symptoms were 2.69 for anosmia, 3.04 for severe hyposmia, 3.84 for mild to moderate hyposmia and 4.02 for normal and the difference was significant. CONCLUSION: BTT and KVSS identification test scores and subjective symptoms exhibited significant correlations between each other and the odor-specific olfaction part of the questionnaire showed the greatest correlation to olfactory function tests.

Transition of the Olfactory Recovery in Patients with Olfactory Disturbance / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recently, there has been an increase in olfactory disorders due to many etiologies. Many therapeutic methods have been tried with some favorable results. Some of the therapeutic methods are functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), oral and topical steroids, and other pharmacologic therapies (vitamin A, aminophylline, zinc sulfate, etc). In this study, we tried to find out the transition of olfactory recovery in patients with olfactory disturbance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-one patients with olfactory disturbance were studied. There were 25 patients who had chronic sinusitis with nasal polyp, 10 patients who had chronic sinusitis without nasal polyp, 12 patients who had upper respiratory infection, 5 patients who had congenital disorder, 4 patients who had head trauma, and 5 patients who had nasal septal deviation. Chronic sinusitis was treated by functional endoscopic sinus surgery, nasal septal deviation was treated by septoplasty and others were treated by drug therapy and topical steroid. The degree of olfactory disturbance and recovery was scored with a KVSS test (Korean Version of Sniffin Sticks test) prior to treatment and also three and six months after the treatment. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with chronic sinusitis with nasal polyp (84%) showed improvement of olfaction on the third postoperative month, and 6 months later (p<0.01). Seven patients with chronic sinusitis without nasal polyp (70%) also showed improvement of olfaction (p<0.01). But seven patients with upper respiratory tract infection (58%) did not show significant improvement of olfaction, and it would be necessary to follow up these patients longer. Patients with congenital disorder, nasal septal deviaton, and head trauma did not show significant improvement of olfaction. CONCLUSION: The mentioned test can aid in investigating the etiology of olfactory disturbance, and in accurately assessing the degree of the olfactory disturbance.

Olfactory Dysfunction in Chromium Exposed Workers / 예방의학회지

Chromium is one of the representative toxic substance by occupational exposure which damage the mucosa of respiratory tract including nasal septal perforation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of chromium exposure on olfactory function and to obtain the fundamental information about chromium exposure. The authors performed olfactory function test, laboratory tests and questionnaire interview on the subject of three groups, that is, two exposed groups and one nonexposed group from May 1 to June 30, 1994. Exposed group 1 was 15 male workers without nasal septal perforation, exposed group 2 was 15 male workers with nasal septal perforation among 103 workers in 22 chromium plating factories, and nonexposed group was 15 male medical students. The gathered informations were histories of chromium exposure, habits of smoking and alcohol drinking, the concentrations of chromium in serum and urine, and asparate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), gamma-gluutamyl transferase,etc. Olfactory function was checked by T and T olfectometer using phenyl ethyl alcohol(material A), methyl cyclopentenolone(material B), iso-valeric acid(material C), gamma-undecalactone(material D), skatole(material E) and the results were expressed by detection threshold(DT) and recognition threshold(RT). There was a significant difference between exposed groups and nonexposed group in A, B, C, D, E substances by DT and in A, B, C, D substances by RT(p<0.01) The degree of olfactory dysfunction was highest in the exposed group 2 and lowest in the nonexposed group in all five substance by Dt and it was same in A B, D substance RT and the difference of RT and DT. As summary, olfactory dysfunction by chromium exposure was recognized and the degree of olfactory dysfunction was higher in the exposed group with nasal septal perforation. Therefore, it would be helpful to apply olfactory function test for the early detection of olfactory dysfunction, and this test would be considered as the basic tool within workers' compensation system.