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Case Reports
. 2022 Sep 20:13:990341.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.990341. eCollection 2022.

First-episode olfactory hallucination in a patient with anxiety disorder: A case report

Xingmei Jiang  1 , Yiwen Yuan  1   2 , Zhixiong Li  3 , Ying Ou  1   2 , Zhe Li  1   2
Affiliations
Case Reports

First-episode olfactory hallucination in a patient with anxiety disorder: A case report

Xingmei Jiang et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Olfactory hallucination refers to olfactory perception in the absence of chemical stimuli. Although it has been associated with many neurological and psychotic disorders, it has rarely been reported as the first and only symptom in patients with anxiety disorder, and its treatment remains inadequate.

Case summary: A 66-year-old woman who had been experiencing gradually worsening olfactory hallucinations for almost 4 years was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Olfactory hallucination disappeared after treatment with anti-anxiety drugs.

Conclusion: Olfactory hallucination can be the first and only symptom in patients with anxiety disorder and may be effectively treated with anti-anxiety medication. In fact, it can precede the diagnosis of anxiety disorder by several years.

Keywords: anti-anxiety treatment; anxiety disorder; case report; first-episode; olfactory hallucination.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Endoscopy failed to reveal obvious structural auxiliary abnormalities, or abnormalities in the nasal cavity or nasopharynx.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Axial and coronal computed tomography of the nose showed only paranasal sinusitis.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Brain magnetic resonance imaging only showed a few ischemic foci in the brain parenchyma and paranasal sinusitis.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The timeline of treatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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