Objectives: Susac syndrome is a rare autoimmune endotheliopathy involving the brain, retina, and inner ear. Olfactory dysfunction is a common early manifestation of several central nervous system diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmune-mediated diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis. While the literature is abundant about the Susac syndrome classic triad of encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusion, and low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss, little is known about the extent of olfactory sense involvement.
Methods: Using the Sniffin' Sticks test, this study evaluated olfactory function (identification and threshold) in ten recovering Susac syndrome patients under our clinic surveillance with a median of 3.1 (SD=1.53) years post-disease onset.
Results: olfactory assessment by threshold and odor identification were within the normal range. No differences between recovering Susac syndrome patients to standard norms of odor identification and threshold were found.
Conclusions: Our findings do not support olfactory dysfunction in Susac syndrome and thereby, do not support olfactory assessment as a reliable biomarker for this condition.
Keywords: Olfaction; Olfactory dysfunction; Sniffin' sticks; Susac syndrome.
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