tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Chem Senses
. 2021 Feb 12;bjab006.
doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjab006. Online ahead of print.
Six-month psychophysical evaluation of olfactory dysfunction in patients with COVID-19
Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anna Menegaldo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Cristoforo Fabbris[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Giacomo Spinato[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Daniele Borsetto[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Luigi Angelo Vaira[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Leonardo Calvanese[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andrea Pettorelli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Massimo Sonego[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Daniele Frezza[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andy Bertolin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Walter Cestaro[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Roberto Rigoli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Andrea D'Alessandro[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giancarlo Tirelli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Cristina Da Mosto[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anna Menini[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jerry Polesel[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Claire Hopkins[SUP] 10 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
This study prospectively assessed the six-month prevalence of self-reported and psychophysically measured olfactory dysfunction in subjects with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Self-reported smell or taste impairment was prospectively evaluated by SNOT-22 at diagnosis, 4-week, 8-week, and 6-month. At 6 months from the diagnosis, psychophysical evaluation of olfactory function was also performed using the 34-item culturally adapted University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (CA-UPSIT). 145 completed both the 6-month subjective and psychophysical olfactory evaluation. According to CA-UPSIT, 87 subjects (60.0%) exhibited some smell dysfunction, with 10 patients being anosmic (6.9%) and 7 being severely microsmic (4.8%). At the time CA-UPSIT was administered, a weak correlation was observed between the self-reported alteration of sense of smell or taste and olfactory test scores (Spearman's r=-0.26). Among 112 patients who self-reported normal sense of smell at last follow-up, CA-UPSIT revealed normal smell in 46 (41.1%), mild microsmia in 46 (41.1%), moderate microsmia in 11 (9.8%), severe microsmia in 3 (2.3%), and anosmia in 6 (5.4%) patients; however, of those patients self-reporting normal smell but who were found to have hypofunction on testing, 62 out of 66 had self-reported reduction in sense of smell or taste at an earlier time point. Despite most patients report a subjectively normal sense of smell, we observed a high percentage of persistent smell dysfunction at 6 months from the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with 11.7% of patients being anosmic or severely microsmic. These data highlight a significant long-term rate of smell alteration in patients with previous SARS-COV-2 infection.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; anosmia; coronavirus; olfactory function; smell and taste loss.
. 2021 Feb 12;bjab006.
doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjab006. Online ahead of print.
Six-month psychophysical evaluation of olfactory dysfunction in patients with COVID-19
Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anna Menegaldo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Cristoforo Fabbris[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Giacomo Spinato[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Daniele Borsetto[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Luigi Angelo Vaira[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Leonardo Calvanese[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andrea Pettorelli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Massimo Sonego[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Daniele Frezza[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andy Bertolin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Walter Cestaro[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Roberto Rigoli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Andrea D'Alessandro[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Giancarlo Tirelli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Cristina Da Mosto[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anna Menini[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jerry Polesel[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Claire Hopkins[SUP] 10 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33575808
- DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjab006
Abstract
This study prospectively assessed the six-month prevalence of self-reported and psychophysically measured olfactory dysfunction in subjects with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Self-reported smell or taste impairment was prospectively evaluated by SNOT-22 at diagnosis, 4-week, 8-week, and 6-month. At 6 months from the diagnosis, psychophysical evaluation of olfactory function was also performed using the 34-item culturally adapted University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (CA-UPSIT). 145 completed both the 6-month subjective and psychophysical olfactory evaluation. According to CA-UPSIT, 87 subjects (60.0%) exhibited some smell dysfunction, with 10 patients being anosmic (6.9%) and 7 being severely microsmic (4.8%). At the time CA-UPSIT was administered, a weak correlation was observed between the self-reported alteration of sense of smell or taste and olfactory test scores (Spearman's r=-0.26). Among 112 patients who self-reported normal sense of smell at last follow-up, CA-UPSIT revealed normal smell in 46 (41.1%), mild microsmia in 46 (41.1%), moderate microsmia in 11 (9.8%), severe microsmia in 3 (2.3%), and anosmia in 6 (5.4%) patients; however, of those patients self-reporting normal smell but who were found to have hypofunction on testing, 62 out of 66 had self-reported reduction in sense of smell or taste at an earlier time point. Despite most patients report a subjectively normal sense of smell, we observed a high percentage of persistent smell dysfunction at 6 months from the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with 11.7% of patients being anosmic or severely microsmic. These data highlight a significant long-term rate of smell alteration in patients with previous SARS-COV-2 infection.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; anosmia; coronavirus; olfactory function; smell and taste loss.