ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To compare the olfactory bulb volumes (OBVs) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) to healthy individuals, and to assess the changes of the OBVs in patients with CRSwNP before and after the endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) utilising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with specialised software. DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tanta University hospital (tertiary referral hospital), Egypt. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients with CRSwNP (Group A) were compared with thirty healthy individuals (Group B) as regards the OBVs. Patients with CRSwNP underwent ESS where the Smell Identification Test-40 (SIT-40) and the OBVs were assessed pre-operatively and at least 6 months postoperatively. Assessment of the OBVs was carried out using MRI with specialised software. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment of the volumetric changes of the olfactory bulbs in patients with CRSwNP before and after endoscopic sinus surgery utilise magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: The OBVs were significantly smaller in Group A (58.94 ± 7.96 mm3 and 60.79 ± 8.14 mm3 on the right and left sides, respectively) as compared with the Group B (73.46 ± 8.54 mm3 and 72.96 ± 9.74 mm3 on the right and left sides, respectively). There was also a significant increase in the olfactory bulb volumes as well as improvement of the SIT-40 6 months postoperatively in the Group A. CONCLUSIONS: The olfactory bulb is characterised by neural plasticity, and its volume may be affected by the peripheral olfactory function.
