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Review
. 2012 Feb;20(1):29-32.
doi: 10.1097/MOO.0b013e32834dfb3d.

Olfactory improvement after endoscopic sinus surgery

Luke Rudmik  1 , Timothy L Smith
Affiliations
Review

Olfactory improvement after endoscopic sinus surgery

Luke Rudmik et al. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Olfactory dysfunction is a common complaint in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The purpose of this article is to review the current evidence on the impact of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on CRS-related olfactory dysfunction.

Recent findings: The recent literature suggests that olfactory outcomes after ESS are challenging to predict. Some evidence supports a positive impact of ESS on improving olfactory outcomes in patients with preoperative nasal polyposis and anosmia. However, despite improvements in smell, most of these patients remain with severe hyposmia. One study suggests ESS has no impact on olfactory outcomes.

Summary: CRS-related olfactory dysfunction is a complex clinical scenario and it is challenging to predict improvement following ESS. CRS patients with anosmia and nasal polyposis preoperatively may have a higher likelihood of olfactory improvement following ESS.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: There are no conflicts of interest for Luke Rudmik, MD or Timothy L. Smith, MD, MPH. Timothy L. Smith receives grant funding from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, one of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD., and is a consultant for IntersectENT (Palo Alto, CA.) which provided no funding for this review.

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