Abstract
Although the treatment outcome of patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) has recently improved, the outcome in patients with post-traumatic olfactory dysfunction (PTOD) remains poor. We recruited PTOD patients who were referred to Kyushu University Hospital from 2010 to 2013, in order to understand the clinical characteristics that were associated with a good treatment outcome in patients with of PTOD. Thirty-four of 132 OD patients were diagnosed with PTOD in the four-year period. The olfactory examination revealed one patient with a normal response, one patient with a severe response and thirty-two patients (94.1%) with no response. There was no association between the olfactory function and the characteristics of the traumatic situation, including the patients' age and the presence of disturbed consciousness, cerebral contusion or cranial bone fracture. The poor outcome that was observed in our hospital was similar to that in other institutions. Further research is needed to improve the treatment outcome in patients with PTOD.
