Medizinische Universität Graz - Research portal
Selected Publication:
Mayr, BJ.
Dysosmia
[ Dissertation ] Graz University; 2001. pp.140.
- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Advisor:
- Wolf Peter
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- Most patients with smell impairment are self-referred, and their chief complaint is that they have lost their sense of taste. However in most cases the sense of taste is intact and it is the sense of smell, which is impaired. Although disorders of smell affect millions of people, they are often overlooked of ignored by physicians, who polish off the examination of olfactory dysfunction. Id like to give a review of the structural organization of the olfactory system, definitions (anosmia, hyposma and dysosmia) and the causes of olfactory dysfunctions. Since a number of patients are unaware of their olfactory disorder and even a large number mistakenly attribute their symptoms of flavour loss to taste dysfunction rather than to smell dysfunction, most such associations need to be verified by well-designed studies. I present strategies and diagnostic modalities to evaluate a patient with olfactory dysfunction. Furthermore a case report of posttraumatic dysomia should reveal, that olfactory dysfunction may be more common among head-injured patients than most studies would suggest.