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At the meeting of the Western Section of the Triological Society in Laguna Niguel, Calif, Donald A. Leopold, MD, of the Clinical Olfactory Research Center, State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Syracuse, presented an update on the clinical characteristics of olfactory dysfunction.
Based on research and analysis of 200 cases, Leopold stated that the history and the results of the physical examination and olfactory tests were the most important aspects of the evaluation. Based on this, patients could be grouped into the following diagnostic categories: nasal inflammatory disease, viral infection, trauma, aging, congenital defect, and exposure to toxins. As many as 30% of these patients were found to have nasal inflammatory disease as the cause of their olfactory dysfunction. In this regard, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and rigid sinus endoscopy were useful in establishing the diagnosis. Phantom odors and distorted odors were present only in the