Age-related olfactory dysfunction and congenital anosmia

Abstract

The sense of smell decreases rapidly after the age of 60 years and over, and by age 80, the sense of smell is reduced by about half. A reduced sense of smell affects quality of life such as the flavor of foods and beverages, and It is especially important for the elderly impaired immune defense to perceive the sense of smell.

Congenital anosmia is an infrequent phenomenon. Two broad categories are often considered : isolated congenital anosmia and congenital anosmia with other anomalies. The most commonly described association is that of anosmia or hyposmia with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, also called Kallmann syndrome. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is useful for the detection of the morphologic abnormalities of patients with congenital anosmia. Patients with congenital anosmia should understand handicaps associated with anosmia, and it is neccesory to have a detailed examination of hypogonadism.