2023 Volume 72 Issue 1 Pages 77-82
T&T olfactometry (T&T) is important for assessing the degree of olfactory impairment and the effect of treatment. Although T&T is a noninvasive test, it is complicated to perform, and the results may vary depending on the technique and judgment of the examiner. In this study, we attempted to standardize the examination according to our original T&T flowchart. Sixty-four patients (41 with chronic sinusitis, two with allergic rhinitis, one had trauma, four with neurodegenerative diseases, and 16 with olfactory impairment of unknown cause) who visited an otolaryngologist between October 2020 and April 2021 were analyzed. Clinical laboratory technologists were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of T&T using a flow chart. As a result, the clinical laboratory technologists and patients were less confused during examinations. The validity of T&T using the flowchart was evaluated by comparing its results with the scores of the self-administered odor questionnaire (SAOQ) and the visual analogue scale (VAS), which are tools for self-evaluation of olfaction. As a result, we found a strong negative correlation between T&T results and SAOQ scores (r = −0.715). There was also a strong negative correlation between T&T results and VAS scores (r = −0.793). The examiners felt that they had less difficulty in making decisions during the examination, and the patients felt that they can easily identify a scent. Flowchart-based T&T olfactometry has potential use in the standardization of the examiners’ procedural steps and better reflect the patients’ subjective complaints.
