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. 2020 Nov;130(11):2526-2531.
doi: 10.1002/lary.28993. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

Clinical and Radiological Evaluations of COVID-19 Patients With Anosmia: Preliminary Report

Jerome R Lechien #  1   2   3   4 , Justin Michel #  1   5 , Thomas Radulesco  1   5 , Carlos M Chiesa-Estomba  1   6 , Luigi A Vaira  7 , Giacomo De Riu  7 , Leigh Sowerby  1   8 , Claire Hopkins #  9 , Sven Saussez #  1   2   3
Affiliations

Clinical and Radiological Evaluations of COVID-19 Patients With Anosmia: Preliminary Report

Jerome R Lechien et al. Laryngoscope. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives/hypothesis: To investigate clinical and radiological features of olfactory clefts of patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Study design: Prospective non controlled study.

Methods: Sixteen COVID-19 patients were recruited. The epidemiological and clinical data were extracted. Nasal complaints were assessed through the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test. Patients underwent psychophysical olfactory testing, olfactory cleft examination, and computed tomography (CT) scans.

Results: Sixteen anosmic patients were included. The mean Sniffin' Sticks score was 4.6 ± 1.7. The majority of patients had no endoscopical abnormality, with a mean olfactory cleft endoscopy score of 0.6 ± 0.9. The olfactory clefts were opacified in three patients on the CT scan. The mean radiological olfactory cleft score was 0.7 ± 0.8. There were no significant correlations between clinical, radiological, and psychophysical olfactory testing.

Conclusions: The olfactory cleft of anosmic COVID-19 patients is free regarding endoscopic examination and imaging. The anosmia etiology is not related to edema of the olfactory cleft.

Level of evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:2526-2531, 2020.

Keywords: COVID-19; anosmia; computed tomography scan; coronavirus; evaluation; imaging; olfaction; olfactory; smell; taste.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Computed tomography (CT) scan findings of patients. Sinus CT scans of our clinical series. Each number corresponds to a patient.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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