Objective: To understand the relationship between the pathology of the olfactory epithelium in dysosmia induced by nasosinusitis and the prognosis.
Methods: The olfactory epithelium of 23 patients who had chronic nasosinusitis and undergone endoscopic sinus surgery was histologically observed. All patients were diagnosed to have anosmia by olfactory tests before the operation. The history ranged from 5 to 30 years. Fifty were males and 8 females.
Results: Pathological changes were found in all cases: 16 (69.6%) with decreased olfactory cells, 10 (43.5%) had normal atrophic olfactory epithelia, 6 (26.1%) respiratory epithelial metaplasia and 10 (43.5%) mucous gland metaplasia. All the patients had been followed up for 6-10 months after operation. sixteen patients who had normal olfactory epithelia got improvement in their olfactory function; 7 patients whose olfactory epithelia were severely diseased got no amelioration of their symptoms.
Conclusions: The quantity of olfactory cells bears a positive relation with the olfactory condition.